Bayleef and Charizard's Problematic Adventure
by Charanium
Summary: After growing up in an abusive orphanage, two Pokémon are adopted by good, loving owners and have found happiness. But cruel, abusive people are trying to make their lives miserable again. How will these Pokémon handle it? Rated T for abuse and bodily functions.
1. Enter Chikorita

Pokémon and Mario belong to Nintendo.

This story is somewhat based on Problem Child.

Credit for the name "Kinoko Region" goes to mookeybrain.

It all started on a dark and stormy night in Marion Town, a medium-sized town in the Kinoko region. Two Meganiums were carrying their sleeping infant Chikorita daughter through the pouring rain. After a while, they found a mansion, lay her in front of the door, and did a ding-dong ditch. They then took off, happy because she would no longer interrupt their time together. Chikorita woke up to the sound of a door opening, and she began to cry. A rich couple saw her and felt sorry for her. "Awww, who would want to abandon this wonderful baby?" But then she made a mess on the welcome mat.

The next day, those rich people dropped her off at a suburban house and took off, completely ignoring her cries. This new household told her, "You can be in our family as long as you do what we say." She tried her best; but one puddle on the floor, and she was taken to another house. This cycle continued for a long time, because she was not allowed to go potty at all, even outdoors (no one would allow her to go outside at all, neither would they potty train her). And in every household she was in, her owners treated her very badly, beating her for the slightest infraction (and for totally innocent actions like expressing emotions, stepping a way they didn't like, etc.). Never once did they say they loved her or give her anything. The only thing she got from them was hatred, pain, and eventually disowned.

Finally, she was taken to the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon. Her heart rose temporarily, for she saw several other Pokémon; but it quickly fell when the elders came up and said in a foreboding tone, "You will respect and obey us, or else. And you will enjoy dinner tonight." She tried to make new friends at once, but the elders quickly stopped her. "No! You don't make friends here! That's rule number 1!" And they gave her a severe beating, and she started to cry. "YOU DON'T CRY EITHER!!!! YOU WILL TAKE THIS WITH DIGNITY AND HAPPINESS!!!!" Dinner that night was cold, mushy, and disgusting. Chikorita tried to enjoy it, but she ended up vomiting. The orphanage headmaster saw that, and he dragged her by her leaf into the bathroom. She was able to keep from crying out, despite the massive pain; but the headmaster was not pleased with that. He bellowed, "YOU SHOULD BE CRYING OUT!!!!" She replied, "I'm not supposed to, rememb…" He cut her off. "SHUT UP!!!! I AM YOUR ELDER, AND YOU WILL TREAT ME WITH THE UTMOST OF RESPECT!!!!" He then dragged her into the bathroom and screamed, "NOW GET TO WORK!!!!! I WANT THIS PLACE SO SHINY I CAN SEE MY FACE EVERYWHERE!!!!! HONESTLY, KIDS THESE DAYS HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT FOR THEIR ELDERS!!!!!!" But as he left, she could hear him chuckling evilly. "Heh heh heh heh heh heh. I love torturing little Pokémon." Chikorita felt sick. The orphanage was treating her worse than any of her previous owners, and this was only her first day here.

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	2. Enter Charmeleon

Four years after arriving at the orphanage...

"Psst..."

One day, when Chikorita was polishing the furniture of the orphanage, she turned and saw a Charmeleon hiding behind a bookcase, motioning to her. She went over and asked him, "What?" He whispered, "Quiet! I have here a map of all my hiding places. I've seen how awful they treat the pokémon here. I stayed up all night making spare copies in case the elders catch me." She asked, "Wouldn't it be easier just to do your chores?" He whispered, "You're weird, Chikorita. I've tried that, and it never works. They always beat me; they say it's not good enough when anyone can tell it's perfect..." Chikorita said, "And what if the elders find those maps?" He realized he'd made a dumb move, and he ripped up the maps and threw them away.

Then they heard the elders say, "All right, everyone! Look your best! There's someone coming here to adopt. Mind your manners, respect your elders, look happy, you know the routine. And anyone who disobeys will be beaten and starved and _never_ adopted **_EVER!!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!??!?_** " The Pokémon responded, "We love you, elders." The elders responded, "Oh, shut up!" All the Pokémon did what the elders said, and none more so than Chikorita. Well, everyone except Charmeleon; he skulked off to one of his hiding places.

The one coming to adopt was Neil's best friend, Ella. She looked over all the Pokémon for about ten minutes (they stayed cheerful, respectful, and obedient) before making her decision. "I want the Treecko." Treecko squealed with delight, and the other Pokémon tried to keep on their smiles (inwardly, they were devastated that they had been rejected, and they wanted to cry). Ella told him with a smile, "Go get your things packed. You're coming home with me." Treecko went off to do just that.

Then the elders turned in an absolute rage on the other Pokémon. " ** _YOU HAVE DISGRACED THE ORPHANAGE WITH YOUR COMPLETE DISOBEDIENCE OF OUR ORDERS!!!!! ALL LINE UP FOR BEATINGS, AND THERE IS NO DINNER FOR A MONTH!!!!! USELESS FAILURES!!!!!! NOBODY WANTS ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!!!!!!_** " The Pokemon felt sick. Was this their reward for complete obedience? The elders kept ranting and raving as they beat the Pokémon senseless. Anyone who cried was beaten even more. Charmeleon was found and dragged into line, but his beating was no more severe than the others. When the elders were done, they walked off lauging sadistically, except for two; they collared Charmeleon and Chikorita and made them mop the hall floor. However, the other elders began to grumble about Treecko's adoption. "We can't believe that spoiled brat got adopted! Now he's gonna think he can get away with disrespecting us! We're his elders, and we are entitled to the utmost respect!" But another elder said, "I thought of that. That's why I composed the rule sheet for new adopters. Ella will follow it to the letter; everyone else does, heh heh heh heh heh heh."

Charmeleon and Chikorita had just finished mopping the hall. She then asked him, "Why didn't you turn out for adoption?" He scowled and responded, "Adoption is a big fake. They say they love you and will keep you forever, but that's a bold-faced lie! It's just a matter of time, and they will take you right back here, and you'll never see them again. Your best hope is to evolve. I know for a fact that one day I'll become a Charizard, and then I'll be big enough to fight back. You will evolve into Bayleef, and then Meganium. Then you'll be big enough to fight back." Chikorita said with tears in her eyes, "I know what you mean! *sniff* That's happened to me ten times!"And she began to cry. Charmeleon responded, "Ouch. It happened to me fifty times."

Then the elders showed up and yelled, "YOU CALL THIS FLOOR CLEAN!??!" The floor was actually immaculate, but the elders just wanted to torture the two innocent Pokémon. "WE'RE GONNA TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!!!!!" But just then, Treecko came into the hall with his suitcase, and the elders' expressions completely changed. "There's our favorite little boy!" they said all affectionately. "We're really gonna miss you." Charmeleon piped up, "Miss him? Where's he going?" Chikorita answered, "He's been adopted. Ella came in and adopted him." Treecko happily said, "I've got a new mommy, and she's so nice!" Charmeleon scoffed, "Really?" The elders smiled answered while patting Treecko (which they had **_NEVER_** done before), "Yes. Good little Pokemon get good homes." Then, glaring at Charmeleon and Chikorita, they bellowed, "Bad little Pokémon get something else!" And then, turning to Treecko, they said (fake) sweetly, "It's just too bad you had to get adopted before your evolution party." Chikorita asked, "Evolution party?" The elders answered, "Yes. When a Pokemon evolves, that is an important stage in their life, so we give them a big party. It celebrates their 'coming of age,' if you will." Charmeleon cut in and said, "You don't believe this nonsense, do you?" Then one of the elders took him by his head-spike and dragged him into a nearby room. The others said, "Of course it's true. Ask anyone here." And so she asked Clefairy, Quilava, Krokorok, Sliggoo, Lombre, and Rhydon. They all affirmed their evolution parties and described how wonderful they were, but Rhydon said, "It's the only time the elders treat us nice." Chikorita was excited. "Now I've got to evolve!"

But that night, Charmeleon sneaked into Chikorita's room, got her out of bed, took her to one of his hiding places, and told her, "They're all lies! The elders **_NEVER_** give anyone evolution parties! Don't believe them! The elders are forcing them to lie about it. I know what actually happens. They treat you worse than ever. They work you to death, make you help them torment the little Pokémon, and they beat you hard even when you're perfect. You'll have to become a Meganium and fight back to be happy." Chikorita thought about it. Was Charmeleon right? He couldn't be. Clefairy, Quilava, Krokorok, Sliggoo, Lombre, and Rhydon all had parties, didn't they? Who was right, they or he? She sneaked back to her bed, and just in time, because the elders were now doing the "bed check," making sure everyone was in bed.

 _It sounds like Chikorita is in a quandary. Clefairy, Quilava, Krokorok, Sliggoo, Lombre, and Rhydon claim to have had wonderful evolution parties, but Charmeleon claims it's all a lie. Who is right? We'll find out eventually, but the next chapter will see Mario and Neil in a "Guys' Night In."_

 _Please review._


	3. Guys' Night In

Meanwhile, at Neil's house...

"Did you see that last-minute albatross Neil scored on the last hole!?" asked Neil's friend Mario. "Absorutery! I couldn't bereive it!" answered Yoshi. Kid answered, "No one has ever done that to pull the last-minute win out from Mario's hands!" Joe said, "Groovy, man." Buzz said, "First, he beats Kid, and now he's a world golf sensation!"

Neil's house was full of activity that night. He had invited his friends over for a Guys' Night In. They were talking about Neil's last-minute win in the Toadtown Golf Classic. Mario had led the field the entire tournament, but Neil scored a last-minute albatross on hole 18 to win, which had never happened before. Mario was in shock, but he got over it more quickly than anyone expected.

Kritter suggested, "Let's play some games!" They all agreed. First, they played Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Putts and Kid didn't even make it to the $5,000 question, Joe won $5,000, Buzz won $10,000, Neil won $20,000, Mario won $30,000, Kritter won $100,000, and Yoshi (complaining that the questions were too easy) won $1,000,000 without using any lifelines. He made the next suggestion: "Ret's pray Sudoku. You have to prace numbels one thlough nine so that thele's no lepeats in each low, corumn, ol thlee-by-thlee box." Everyone played that game for two hours. Putts completed 4 puzzles, Joe completed 6, Buzz completed 9, Neil and Mario completed 10, Kid completed 12, Kritter completed 16, and Yoshi completed 25. Then the guys had a Pokémon Battle Revolution Kinoko tournament. Yoshi won easily, having been the Kinoko Region Champion for five years. Kritter then said, "Did you know that he hasn't lost a Pokémon battle in over five years?" Yoshi explained, "Is because oliginar Pokémon get too ord and feebre to batoru; they must letile. Must catch new ones to leprace them." Neil scolded him, "Just because someone is old doesn't mean he can't fight properly." Yoshi retorted, "Plopelry? Can you win championship with 'plopelry'? Must be excerrent! Young ones ale best! To make honey, need young frowel, not ord plune!"

While Yoshi was explaining, Mario thought about all the fun he had as a Pokémon trainer, especially with his Charizard. Neil thought about his two-year reign as champion, how his Pokémon would endure great pain just to please him, how he loved them and trained them with positive attitudes, and how he missed them when he went to college. Now that he'd graduated, and was a pro golfer, he decided, "I'm going to adopt a Pokémon and keep it as a pet (as long as it wasn't a psychic, dark, or ghost type--he _hated_ those types). Does anyone know where I can do that?" Mario answered, "The Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon is nearby, and they're great; they have a perfect-a record and they're rated-a tops-a in the Kinoko region." Neil answered, "Thanks, Mario. Sometime I'll go and check it out!"

Because it was so late when the Guys' Night In ended, Neil let his friends stay overnight. When they were in bed, Neil began crunching some numbers, figuring how much it would cost to adopt a Pokémon. He would have to pay for food and doctor expenses, and he would have to housetrain it. Of course, Pokémon like Bulbasaur and Chikorita would be easier to feed and train than Pokémon like Snorlax and Ursaring. Charmeleon was a bit hot-headed and might not submit to authority, and Swellow was very energetic. He then remembered how affectionate his Meganium had been on his journey before he became the Kinoko Region Champion. He dismissed the thought and considered Treecko. "They're cute and compliant... wait. Ella adopted one; I want a different one. I guess I'll just decide when I get there." And so he made a budget estimating how much it would cost to adopt a Snorlax. Thanks to his successful professional golf career, he found that he could afford to take care of a Snorlax, not that he would. He looked over his schedule, and seeing that next Monday was open, he made a note to visit the orphanage. Then he went to bed, really looking forward to having a Pokémon pet and giving it lots of love and care.

Unbeknownst to Neil, Mario was also thinking about adopting a Pokémon; only he wanted a fire type.

 _Note: To make Yoshi sound Asian, I switched his R's and L's._

 _A_ _lso, Neil's in for a big surprise when he arrives at the orphanage, isn't he? After all, it's actually a terrible place that mistreats Chikorita, and she's likely not the only one._

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	4. Evolution, and Realization

Monday rolls around...

Chikorita began to glow. Her leaf changed shape, her neck-buds grew into leaves, and her body turned yellow and grew to twice its original size. She evolved into Bayleef. She was so happy, because she remembered that the elders had promised her a big evolution party. She looked for the elders, completely ignoring Charmeleon's pleas: "No! Don't! They'll torture you! They'll lie and say they never promised you anything! Clefairy, Sliggoo, Krokorok, Lombre, Rhydon, and Quilava were forced to lie about the party!" But Bayleef found the elders and said, "I'm ready! I've evolved!" Unfortunately, she learned that Charmeleon was right about the whole thing. The elders collared her and dragged her to the kitchen. Then they yelled, " ** _GET THOSE POTS CLEAN!!! NOW!!!!!_** " Bayleef tried to smile, and she said, "Yes, sir." The headmaster slapped her and yelled, " ** _DON'T SUCK UP TO ME, YOU #$/@#/!!!!_** " She said, "Hey, that's a bad word!" The headmaster then _kicked her in the side!_ She would have cried out, but that had been beaten out of her a few days ago. Instead, she immediately got to work like the good girl she was.

Meanwhile, Charmeleon was in a secret room, cleaning up the poop from other Pokémon; they went into that room to do their business, because the elders stubbornly and sadistically prohibited them from using the bathrooms (or from doing their business _at all_ ; one puddle or pile, and _everyone_ was badly beaten). He said to himself, "It's a good thing I'm here to cover up all the business of the Pokémon here. If the elders found out about this, no telling _what_ they would do. What kind of elders are they, not allowing us to perform a basic bodily function! Beating us even when we do nothing wrong! Even when we do perfect work, they punish us! And they publicly humiliate us, _just for fun!_ Well, when I'm a Charizard, I _will not, **will not**_ put up with it! I _will_ fight back, and I **_will_** win!" He then took the waste away without being noticed by the elders--hey, he was _good._

Meanwhile, Neil showed up at the orphanage, and the elders warmly welcomed him. "Are you here to adopt one of our cute little creatures?" they asked. Neil answered, "You guessed it." The headmaster then led him to his office. On the way, however, Neil noticed fear and sadness in the eyes of the Pokémon, and he got an uneasy feeling. In the office, the headmaster showed Neil pictures of all the Pokémon in the orphanage. There were no Snorlaxes, Ursarings, Mamoswines, or Camerupts, so Neil breathed a sigh of relief. The headmaster said, "Most of our Pokémon are well-behaved, so you shouldn't have too much trouble deciding." Then Neil's eyes were drawn to Chikorita. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, she's already up for adoption. And besides, she evolved this morning. You wouldn't want her anyway." Neil retorted, "I like Bayleefs." The headmaster said, "Too bad." Neil then said, "Who's adopting her?" The headmaster snapped, "None of your business!" Neil then said, "Okay, just make a copy of the Pokémon here. I'll sleep on it tonight and make my decision tomorrow morning." The headmaster agreed. "Bye. See you tomorrow! Make a wise decision!" Neil left the orphanage, suspicious that the elders were hiding something. He could see that the Pokémon were not happy in this place of terror. Charmeleon stopped him, saying, "Sir, I know for a fact that Bayleef is not up for adoption. The elders never put someone on a list; we Pokémon are always adopted immediately."

Meanwhile, Bayleef had finished cleaning the pots and pans. They were so shiny she could see her face in them. "Elders, I'm done!" They saw how beautiful the pots were, but the gave her the usual severe beating she got no matter what. During the beating, she wet herself, and the beating intensified; she was beaten unconscious. Then the elders dragged her to the dining room, and when she came to, they screamed, " ** _MOP THIS FLOOR SHINY, OR YOU'LL NEVER EAT AGAIN!!!!!!!_** " She hadn't eaten dinner in a week (although Charmeleon had been sneaking some of the slop the other Pokémon had for dinner to her, to keep her from starving), so she eagerly got to work. Meanwhile, Charmeleon had received a letter from Treecko, whom Ella had adopted some time earlier.

 _Dear Charmeleon,_

 _You were right about adoption. Ella seemed to change the moment we got home. She is just as mean as the elders. Nothing has changed. Wait a minute. Something has changed, for the worse. At least I had friends in the orphanage. I'm all alone now. I actually wish I could return to the orphanage and see my friends again._

 _Love,_

 _Treecko._

Charmeleon showed Bayleef the letter. She read it and said, "Oh my gosh. Charmeleon, you were right. Adoption is not at all what it's cracked up to be. Your new owners treat you just as badly as the elders here. I guess this is the best there is." He replied "See, I told you. Adoption is a big fake. No one loves you, you miss your friends, and..." He was cut off by a roar. The elders charged at the two, beating them up and cussing them out. " ** _WHAT IS THE #$%@ING MATTER WITH YOU $#@%*!??!??!!! YOU $*#ING KNOW BETTER THAN TO $/$ MAKE @$# FRIENDS!!!!!!!! THAT WAS $#@$#ING RULE_** ** _NUMBER 1, YOU $@$#ERS!!!!!!! IF WE EVER @#$/$ING CATCH YOU TWO @!#$ES TOGETHER AGAIN, WE'LL @#$!ING TEAR YOU LIMB FROM $#*@% LIMB!!!!!!!!!!!! AND ANOTHER $#%ING THING!!!!!!_** ** _YOU WILL NOT SAY ANOTHER $#@ WORD ABOUT ADOPTION!!!!!!!! NEITHER OF YOU %$@ ARE EVER GETTING ADOPTED!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!! YOU WILL LIVE HERE FOR THE REST OF YOUR SORRY LIVES!!!!!!!! NOBODY WANTS ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU @#*ES!!!!!! IS THAT %*$#ING CLEAR!!!????_** " Charmeleon snarkily responded, "Fine with me." Bayleef stoically responded, "We love you, elders." The headmaster then said, "Then you're gonna love these chains. Heh heh heh." Then the elders chained up the two Pokémon. Bayleef quietly allowed them to do it, but Charmeleon fought and screamed trying to stop them. Unfortunately, his efforts were fruitless, and he was taken to the basement and _locked in._ Bayleef was locked in a closet. At dinnertime, they were released and unchained, but they were not allowed to eat anything--they had to stand and watch the other Pokémon eat the slop the elders served. Bayleef thought, "I'm so hungry. Why can't I eat?" Charmeleon thought, "Gross! Dinner looks worse than ever!"

Unbeknownst to Bayleef and Charmeleon, Ella felt sorry for the way she treated Treecko, so that night, as he went to bed, she said with a sad voice, "Treecko, I'm sorry for treating you the way the elders did. I just wanted to ease you into your new surroundings. I was planning to become nice gradually, but I guess I was wrong. I love you dearly; that's why I adopted you." Treecko then smiled at Ella. She smiled back and said, "You can still visit your friends at the orphanage. I'll make a call, and let you visit your friends." So she made that call and asked the headmaster when Treecko could visit his friends, but the headmaster vehemently prohibited that, and even slammed the phone down. Ella then went back to Treecko and said, "I'm sorry. I tried to talk to the headmaster, but he cut me off and even slammed the phone in my ear! But don't worry. You can still write to your old friends, and you can make new friends at the same time." Treecko kissed Ella, and then he fell asleep.

That night, at the orphanage, Charmeleon sang a song.

Someday, I will grow up

The elders, I won't put up

When they dare attack

I'll be strong, I will fight back!

Someday, I will evolve

And my problems resolve

When the elders make me mad

I'll fight back, and then be glad!

But that day can't come soon enough

'Cause my life is much too rough

I'm weak now, but I'll be strong;

It shouldn't take too long...

Someday, I will evolve

And my problems resolve

When the elders make me mad

I'll fight back, and then be glad!

Meanwhile, Bayleef sighed, "I officially give up. Adopted life is no better than life in here. Charmeleon was right, the best thing is to evolve, fight back, and rely on yourself." While saying this, she was completely devoid of emotion.

 _It looks like Bayleef has given up any hope of being adopted. But on the bright side, Treecko's life is turning for the better; Ella is now treating him kindly. And Charmeleon keeps dreaming of evolving._

 _Please review_ _this story. I don't know everything about the adoption process, but this is my story, and this orphanage is a Pokémon orphanage, and it may or may not operate the same way as orphanages in the real world._


	5. Bayleef Gets Adopted!

The next day...

A hungry Bayleef was chained up and led to a closet, but she followed along without any complaints. The elders roughly shoved her in, yelling, " ** _YOU STAY IN THAT CLOSET OR ELSE!!!!! AND, IF WE EVEN HEAR A PEEP OUT OF YOU, OR YOU MAKE A MESS IN THERE; IF WE EVEN THINK YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING IN THAT CLOSET, WE WILL BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND US!!!!???_** " She tried to say, "I love you, elders," but they slammed the door on her, screaming as they did so. Charmeleon saw this, but he lay low; after all, today was an adoption day. Neil was coming to make his decision. The elders gathered the other Pokémon and said, "All right, mind your manners, respect your elders, look happy, you know the routine. And anyone who disobeys will be beaten and starved and never adopted EVER!!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!??!?"

Neil entered the orphanage, and the elders showed him the Pokémon. They smiled and said, "We're so glad to see you. You can have any one if these Pokémon you want." Neil glared at them and said in a menacing voice, "I want the one in the closet." The tone of his voice indicated that he had heard them lock someone in the closet. The elders laughed nervously and said, "There's no one in the closet. We can assure you." Neil's glare intensified, and he walked over to the closet. The elders tried to stop him, saying, "Don't you open that door!" Neil retorted, "If you have nothing to hide, why are you stopping me?" The elders continued, "If you open that door, we will throw you out and ban you from ever adopting one of our Pokémon." But Neil got ever closer. "WE MEAN IT!!! WE ARE YOUR ELDERS, AND WE ABSOLUTELY FORBID YOU TO..." Neil opened the closet door, confirming his suspicion. There was Bayleef, all chained up, bruised, and emotionless. Neil gasped. He had never seen a Pokémon so miserably treated, except by the most abusive, sadistic trainers. He was dumbfounded; how anyone could be so cruel to a Pokémon was beyond him. He stared speechless for a minute, and then he said, "You said there was no one in this closet; there obviously was. You locked this one in to keep me from adopting it! And it's all chained up and bruised! How could you treat it so terribly!? Well, let me tell you something. I want this Bayleef." The elders tried to discourage him, saying, "No, you don't; she's very ill-behaved." That was a lie, and they knew it. Neil responded, "I still want her." They tried, "You're getting a very bad seed." Neil retorted, "I don't care! I want her!" The elders kept trying to discourage him, but he wouldn't budge. Eventually, they gave up. "Fine, you can have her!" And they gave him her records and released her chains, and he signed the paperwork to adopt her. They also gave him a set of rules on how to take care of her (but it was abusive stuff like grueling chores, frequent heavy beatings, no going to the bathroom at all, and icky slop for dinner). The elders must have sensed that Neil was getting ready to wad up the rule sheet, so they said with menacing glares, "You _will_ follow _all_ those rules _to the letter_." Bayleef had mixed feelings; just when she had given up on adoption, she was finally being adopted; but she remembered how her friend Charmeleon kept saying adoption was a big fake, and she thought about all the times she had been returned (ten times), and also about how cruel Ella had been to Treecko. Neil picked her up and took her out of the orphanage and into his car. The other Pokémon watched, but the cruel looks from the elders prevented anyone from applauding. Charmeleon wouldn't have applauded anyway; he actually felt sorry for Bayleef. He expected Neil to mistreat her and eventually return her, like everyone did to him. And besides, the other Pokémon were jealous and disappointed because they didn't get adopted.

In the car, Neil looked at Bayleef's records, and he discovered that she had no birth certificate or medical records. He went back to the orphanage to inquire of the elders where those documents might be, but they slammed the door in his face. Neil sighed, went back to the car, and said, "I guess we'll never find your birth certificate, Bayleef. But we are going to the doctor and starting your medical record." So Neil drove to the Pokémon doctor. He noticed that Bayleef hadn't moved or said anything since being adopted, and he said, "This is for the best, Bayleef. I want you to have a good, happy life, better than at the orphanage." Meanwhile, at the orphanage, Charmeleon was looking through the records, and was shocked to find that no one there had a birth certificate or medical records. "This doesn't make sense. Why would the elders keep our adoption and return records, but not our birth certificates? I don't even know how old I am, and I'll wager none of the others know how old they are either."Just then, he heard the elders coming, and he sneaked out the window.

At the doctor's office, Neil petted Bayleef on her head, and she backed away in fear and anger. He tried petting her foreleg, her back, her neck, her leaves, and her chest; but each time, he got the same reaction. He asked, "What's wrong? Are you mad at me?" She gave him a confused look and asked, "Why are you doing this?" Just as Neil was about to answer, Nurse Joy called, "Neil O'Neil and Bayleef." Neil and Bayleef followed her. As she measured Bayleef's height and weight, Neil called the interior decorators and set up an appointment for 8:00 the next morning. "I want a typical girl's bedroom design, with unicorns. Make a note of that." Then he called Ella, making sure she would supervise them. Then Nurse Joy called him in, saying, "This Bayleef is very weak. She is deficient in several key nutrients. How old is she?" Neil responded, "I don't know. I didn't get her birth certificate. All I got were the adoption papers and a rule sheet." Nurse Joy made him go back to his car and get those papers. When Neil returned with the documents, Doctor Brock met him, saying, "I got her hooked up to an IV, and I'm putting some medicine in her. Her deficiencies should be healed by next morning and she'll be able to go home, but I don't like those bruises on her." Neil said, "I'll bet the orphanage did it. They locked her in a closet to keep me from adopting her." Nurse Joy said, "They always mistreat the Pokémon there, but they always cover it up and get away with it." Doctor Brock replied, "Its perfect record is really deceptive. They're using it to lower everyone's suspicions, and it's working." Nurse Joy then said, "I'm just glad this Bayleef is out of that place and with a kind owner." Doctor Brock agreed, "Yes, I know Neil. Now I am going to try to trace her DNA and find out more about her." He and Neil then went to Bayleef's hospital bed to tell her.

Then Brock extracted DNA from Bayleef's blood sample (which had been used to analyze her nutrients). The whole time, Neil was comforting Bayleef, who still was confused. She had never received attention like this, unless the orphanage elders were beating on her. She asked him, "Why did you choose me over all the others?" He responded, "Because I love you. I could not bear the thought of you suffering in those chains." Bayleef thought, " _No one has ever treated me nicely before,_ " and she asked, "Why are you so nice? You never yell at me, you never...are you up to something?" Neil sternly said, "No, of course not!" Bayleef backed away in fear. Then Brock showed up with some interesting information. "You know your original Meganium?" "No, I had forgotten about her! She was one of my most powerful Pokémon when I went on my Pokémon journey! Then she hooked up with Daisy's boy Meganium and got pregnant." "Your Bayleef is their daughter!" Neil gasped and asked, "You mean they gave her up?" "When she was only four days old." "WHAT!?!?" "Yes. They wanted more time together, they dropped their daughter off at some rich man's house, then they legally disowned her. She went through seventeen different owners before ending up at the orphanage. Then she was adopted and returned ten times. I know you won't do that." Neil asked, "Did you find her birth certificate?" Brock answered, "Yes, it's on our files. I can print you off a copy." Neil agreed. When he got the copy, he made an exciting discovery! Today was Bayleef's seventh birthday! He ran to her room and told her as much, then he said, "We'll celebrate your birthday when we get home." But Bayleef wasn't buying it. She remembered how the orphanage elders always promised her parties, but always broke their promises and beat her for questioning them. Neil asked, "Okay?" Bayleef muttered emotionlessly, "Yeah, fine." Neil could tell Bayleef didn't believe him. He called Ella and said, "Tomorrow we're celebrating Bayleef's adoption and seventh birthday when we get home. Bring Treecko and a white cake. We'll celebrate when the decorators get done." Ella was happy for both Neil and Bayleef. Then Neil went shopping for Bayleef's birthday presents. He bought some plush toys, some toy cars, and several bags of nutritious, delicious Pokémon food. He then dropped them off at his house and went back to the Pokémon doctor, where he was allowed to spend the night with his new Bayleef (by the time he got back, she had already fallen asleep).

 _Just when Bayleef had given up hope, she has been adopted!_ _What kind of life do you think Bayleef can look forward to? Will Neil fulfill his promise of a birthday party, or will he break it like the orphanage elders? And what will become of Charmeleon? Also, what do you think of Neil's last name? Will the Marion Town Orphanage's abuse ever be discovered? Feel free to answer as many or as few of these questions as you want as you review._


	6. Bayleef's New Life

Author's note: I modified chapter 2 so the seventeen original households Chikorita was in would not keep her as long.

The next day...

Ella and her Treecko were at Neil's house, overseeing the decoration of Bayleef's new room. She had pink walls, a purple unicorn-print carpet, a canopy bed with unicorn-print in the northwest corner, lavender bookshelves in the northeast corner, windows on the west and north walls, and a desk with a unicorn lamp at the east wall. Her door was on the south wall near the southeast corner, and her closet was on the south wall near the southwest corner. There were a few unicorn figure toys in the middle of the room. Ella said, "Thanks, guys. I just know that Neil and his new Pokémon will love this room." Treecko said, "Even I like it, and I'm a boy! Bayleef will love it!" Just then, Neil and Bayleef got home from their overnight stay at the Pokémon doctor. "Bayleef, welcome to your new home." She still didn't show any emotion. Neil took a selfie on the front porch with her to celebrate the day they came home, and then they opened the front door.

"SURPRISE!!! SURPRISE!!! Happy birthday, Bayleef!" shouted Ella and Treecko. Neil was surprised, but Bayleef just gave a blank stare. The living room wss decorated with banners, streamers, and balloons. She had never experienced anything like that in her while life. She slowly approached Ella and Treecko and asked, "What's going on?" "Today's your birthday," replied Ella. Neil corrected her, "Actually it was yesterday, but she was in the Poké hospital." Ella said, "Oops, I forgot. But Bayleef, come here and open your presents, and then well have some cake!" Bayleef didn't know what any of those things were. All she had known previously was pain, hatred, sorrow, rage, and deceit. First, she opened Ella's presents (in order to respect the guest), which were a Meganium doll, a sun hat, and a Candy Land board game. Then she opened Neil's presents: stuffed My Little Pony characters and toy cars. She asked, "What are these for?" Neil replied, "Those are your birthday presents, Bayleef." She asked, "Birthday presents?" She had never gotten birthday presents in her entire life. In fact, she had never known when her birthday was. Neil replied, "Yes, birthday presents. Things others give you when it's your birthday." Bayleef still looked confused, but she accepted her gifts. After some prompting by Neil, she and Treecko played with them for a while, then Ella brought out a birthday cake. Then they sang "Happy Birthday" to Bayleef, who kept staring in confusion. When they cut the cake, she had a flashback about the time two days earlier she and Charmeleon had to stand there and watch the other Pokémon eat dinner while they were not allowed even one bite. She just stared at Neil, Ella, and Treecko as they ate their pieces of cake. Ella asked Neil, "Why isn't Bayleef eating?" Neil then remembered how he usually ate regular food first. "She probably wants to wait until she's eaten regular food. Besides, we haven't had any lunch." So they finished their cake (except Bayleef, who hadn't even started), and Neil made deli sandwiches for him and Ella, and poured Pokémon food into a big bowl for Bayleef and a little bowl for Treecko. He also poured water into two other bowls for them. He then set their bowls a few feet away from the table. While Treecko started eating right away, Bayleef had a flashback about her first meal at the orphanage. The elders had told her, "You will enjoy dinner tonight," but it was cold, mushy, and disgusting, and she vomited. She hesitated, expecting this dry food to be gross, but then her stomach growled. Neil said, "Go ahead, Bayleef; eat." So she nervously took a bite. She gagged, out of surprise, not the taste. She found it crunchy and delicious, with a sweet, fruity flavor. "Mmmmm!" She has never tasted anything so delicious in her whole life. She then started to eat like there was no tomorrow. Unnoticed by Neil, Bayleef was smiling, her lunch tasted so good. However, Treecko thought, " _It's not as sweet as the food Ella gives me._ "

When they both finished their lunches, Neil and Ella went over to their Pokémon and saw that Treecko's bowl still had a little food left, but Bayleef's was completely empty, picked clean. Neil said, "Wow, Bayleef! You were hungry!" Bayleef thought, " _I can't tell him I'm still starving. That food was wonderful, the best ever. I can't ask any more of him._ _Why is he doing this? No one else ever did anything like this to me._ " Then Neil said, "Treecko didn't finish his!" Ella replied, "Oh, he never does. He always leaves some for later, in case he gets hungry between meals. Don't ask me why." "Well, you can borrow the bowl. Just bring it back tomorrow." So Ella covered Treecko's bowl and said, "Well, it's been nice celebrating Bayleef's birthday, but we really should go and let you and your new Pokémon get closer." After they left, Neil led Bayleef to her new bedroom, saying, "Bayleef, you have your own room in this house. I hope you like unicorns." He opened the door, and she saw the unicorn figures. "Oh my gosh, they're prissy." He asked, "You like it?" She answered, "Well, there sure are a lot of unicorns." She thought, " _He's so nice, I can't tell him I don't like unicorns._ " So she walked around her room, checking out the bed, the desk, and the closet. While she did, Neil brought her presents to her room, and then he showed her the rest of the house. She maintained a confused frown as he showed her his bedroom, the guest bedrooms, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, the game room, the den, and the laundry room.

Neil noticed Bayleef's unhappiness, and he gently asked her, "Why are you unhappy? I thought you would love this nice hide and the nice treatment I'm giving you, but you look sad." Bayleef responded, "Something's not right." Neil asked, "What's wrong?" With eyes that were just about to tear up, she shouted, "Everything!" Neil couldn't believe his ears! All this kind, warm, gentle treatment was wrong? "You don't like my kindness and gentleness?!" Bayleef responded, "No, I love it! It's just that...I can't get used to these wonderful conditions! _Everything_ is the _complete opposite_ of _all_ my other owners _and_ the orphanage! No one has ever done nice things to me in my _whole life!_ " Although there were tears in her eyes, she kept them from falling. "They would always beat me for something or get rid of me, and they always gave me icky food." Then Neil said, glancing at his watch "Speaking of food, I think it's dinnertime." It was 5 P. M., so Neil baked himself some spaghetti, and then he filled Bayleef's bowls with Pokémon food and water, respectively. As during lunch, Bayleef _loved_ the sweet, fruity flavor of her food. Although she was smiling the whole time she was eating, when she finished, the smile disappeared. " _Why is he feeding me delicious food instead of disgusting slop?_ " she thought. " _Everyone else fed me slop. Did I do something special? I can't make heads or tails of this._ " Then Neil put a big piece of birthday cake in her bowl, saying, "I thought you might like your cake for dessert." She thought, " _Dessert? What's dessert? Am I supposed to eat this as well?_ " She hesitated, and then took a bite. It was the sweetest, most delicious thing she had **_ever_** tasted **_in her whole life._** While she was eating her cake, Neil took a picture with his cell phone. He thought she looked hilarious with frosting all over her face. He then showed her the photo, and she laughed so hard she spit out the cake in her mouth. After she finished her cake, however, she reverted back to her confused self.

Bayleef was lost in a sea of thoughts: " _What is happening? Why is Neil so nice? He's feeding me wonderful food, he's not making me work, he's not beating me, and he's not yelling at me. Why? Everyone else always fed me yucky slop, and they always worked me hard, called me lazy, did all sorts of stuff to me._ " Tears came to her eyes, but she kept them in. " _Neil is the complete opposite. Charmeleon said 'Adoption is a big fake.' Uh-oh! What if Neil's setting me up? Everyone else tried to lull me into a false sense of..._ " Her thoughts were cut off by an all-too-familiar feeling in her tummy. All that food she had eaten (two big bowls of Pokémon food and some birthday cake) had gone through her digestive tract, and she had to go potty. She then remembered how _none_ of her previous owners had _ever_ allowed her to go potty _at all, even outside_ (where she had _never_ been allowed to go before). She felt terror at that moment; if she dumped on Neil's floor, he would disown her _for sure._ So she fought hard to hold it in. Neil noticed, and he said, "You need to go potty?" She tried to hide how desperate for relief she was, but her intestines ached all the more. Neil opened the back door and said, "Well, go outside and go potty." She froze up, thinking, " _He'll get mad at me for ruining his grass! But if I go here, he'll get_ _mad and beat me or disown me! What am I going to do?_ " Neil could tell she didn't want to poop outside, so he got an idea. He ran to the laundry room and got a bucket. He ran back to the living room, where Bayleef felt like she was about to explode. He placed it under her bottom. "Here! Sit on this!" Just as she did, she couldn't hold it in any longer, and her waste (both types) gushed out of her. When she was done, she expected Neil to either beat her or disown her. Instead, he happily said, "Good girl, Bayleef! You went potty in the bucket!" and he continued to praise her. Bayleef had **_NEVER, EVER, EVER_** been praised before **_in her entire life_**. The feeling of intense relief, the praise Neil gave her, and the memory of the elders beating her severely for going potty all combined. Bayleef couldn't hold her tears in any longer; in fact, she began to _bawl._ " ** _WAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!_** " Neil panicked. Why was she crying? "Bayleef, what's wrong?!" She just kept wailing, and she wouldn't stop. Neil hated seeing Bayleef crying so hard. The tears were leaping from her eyes. And then Neil remembered: Bayleef had looked so emotionless when she was all chained up and bruised at the orphanage, and she stoically endured the medical tests at the doctor. So he gave her a comforting smile, hugged her, and said, "It's all right, Bayleef. Just let it all out." And she did. The house was filled with her cries. She wailed for _two solid hours._ At the end of those two hours, she recovered enough to say, "BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!! MY WHOLE LIFE I'VE BEEN BEATEN, BELITTLED, YELLED AT, AND REJECTED, EVEN WHEN I DID NOTHING WRONG!!!! MY OWNERS SAID I WAS A WASTE OF SPACE, AND THE ELDERS SAID I WOULD NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING AND NO ONE WOULD EVER ADOPT ME!!!!! THEY WOULDN'T LET ME GO POTTY _AT ALL!!!! I HAD TO HOLD IT 'WITH DIGNITY AND HAPPINESS'!!!!!_ " and she began crying again. Neil remembered that his elders had done the same things to him when he was a child, and he replied, "I know how you feel!" And he began to cry as well. They cried together for one hour, and then the crying was all spent. Neil then said with a smile, "But those days are behind us now. This is the beginning of the future for both of us. Now you have a kind owner who loves you, a backyard to play in, and a bucket to go potty in." Bayleef smiled at her owner, something he had **_never_** seen her do before.

He then noticed that it was 9:30 P. M., so he took Bayleef to her room. She frowned when she saw the unicorns, but when Neil put her in her bed, her frown changed into a huge smile. The soft sheets, the soft mattress, and Neil's tender smile made her feel so wonderful. "I put your food bowl and water bowl near your closet in case you get hungry or thirsty, and I put your bucket near your door in case you have to go potty." Bayleef smiled, yawned, and said, "I love you, Neil," and he said, "I love you too, Bayleef," and he kissed her on the forehead. "Good night." She had **_never_** experienced that before **_in her entire life_**. She kissed him back, and then she fell asleep with a huge smile on her face.

 _After experiencing considerable difficulty adjusting to her new home, Bayleef finally has the happy home and loving owner she's always dreamed of! It looks like Charmeleon may be wrong about adoption after all! Speaking of Charmeleon, the next chapter will focus on him still at the orphanage. How is he faring?_

 _Please review. I am open to any ideas_ _you might have._


	7. Evolution, and Retribution

The next morning...

Neil and Bayleef had just finished breakfast (Neil ate a big bowl of Cheerios, and Bayleef ate a big bowl of her food, and some Cheerios) and were taking a tour of the front and back yards of the house when Parakarry said, "Mail call!" Neil got the mail and took it inside. As he sorted the mail into bills, subscriptions, and personal letters, he found one addressed to Bayleef. "Here, this is from Charmeleon at the orphanage." Bayleef had been missing him, despite how happy she was in her new home. She opened the letter.

 _Dear Bayleef,_

 _Today is a wonderful day at the orphanage. I don't mean that the elders finally became nice, because they're still just as mean as ever. I mean that today is the day I evolved into Charizard. Of course the elders promised me an evolution party, and of course they welched on their word, but I fixed them good. I'm not afraid of them anymore. I miss you, Bayleef. I hope you enjoy your adoption while you can. Soak it for all its worth. He'll give you back eventually, so don't get_ too _attached to him._

 _Regards,_

 _Charizard, your very good friend_

Neil also read this letter, and he told Bayleef, "I'll never give you back. I'm keeping you forever. I love you. That is why I adopted you. Besides, that place was awful to you." He petted her on her back as he said that. "I hope you realize that I'll always love you, and I'll never leave you." Bayleef smiled and kissed Neil, and he kissed her back (like an owner to a pet).

By the way, how did Charizard fix the elders?

He was cleaning the pots, and one of the elders came in yelling, " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!! STOP DAWDLING AND GET THESE POTS CLEAN NOW!!!!_** " Charizard insisted, "I'm working as fast as I can, but I only have two hands." The elder thought, " _I'm gonna put an end to his sass talk._ " He then said, "Now you're going to make these pots so shiny I can see my face in them." Charizard then picked up the dirtiest pot and sneered, "This one looks just like you. Ha ha ha ha ha!" The elder exploded in an absolute rage. Roaring like a dragon, he charged at Charizard, who easily dodged. The elder crashed into the pots, they all fell on top of him, and he screamed, " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!_** " Charizard laughed hysterically. "Hey, what's for dinner, elder stew? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Just keep it waiting for two hours! Ha ha ha ha ha!!" Then Charizard took off to the bedroom, where a Piplup was mopping the floor (and not doing a good job). He took the mop bucket from Piplup, who said, "Hey, I need that!" Charizard said, "I need it more." He heard that same elder approaching in the hallway. Just as he was about to turn into the room, Charizard spilled the bucket onto the floor, causing the elder to slip and slide down the hall, through the trash chute, and into the dumpster. Charizard laughed so hard he peed all over himself, and he couldn't hear the elder scream, " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!!_** " He then sneaked into the pantry, where the elders stashed all the good food for themselves. He then ate every single thing in the pantry! Somehow, the elders knew it was him. " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!!_** " Then he tripped another elder with his tail. " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!!_** " Then he farted in the elders' lounge. " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!!_** " Then he scattered the trash all over the elders' beds. " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!!_** " He did all sorts of things to them. " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!!_** " **_"CHARIZARD!!!!!!" "CHARIZARD!!!!!!"_**

Meanwhile, Bayleef and Neil were playing with her toy cars and having a blast when she had that feeling in her intestines. Neil saw her frown, and he gently said, "You know what to do, sweetheart." So she sat on her bucket and did her business. Neil patted her on the head and said, "Good girl!" Then he took her bucket and emptied it into the toilet. She saw it, and asked, "Why can't I try just sitting on that thing?" Neil said, "All right. You can try." After several unsuccessful attempts, she groaned in disappointment. Neil assured her, "Don't worry; someday you'll be big enough. For now, you have your bucket, and it's not gonna let you down." Neil petted her, and she snuggled up against him in affection. Then they shared a hug. Then Neil said, "Let's clean your room and watch some TV." For an hour, they watched funny cartoons, with Neil giving appropriate "don't try this at home" instructions. Then they played outside for an hour. Then it was lunchtime. Neil had macaroni and cheese, and Bayleef had her Pokémon food. Although he gave her some of his macaroni and cheese, she still preferred the sweet, fruity flavor of her food. Then Neil said, "Now what do you say, Bayleef?" She looked puzzled. He told her, "It's nice to say 'thank you.'" She then said, "Oh, sorry. Thank you, Neil. That was great!" He rewarded her with a Poképuff and a "Good girl." They then cuddled on the couch for a while. Then Neil set a few chores for Bayleef to do (sweeping the floor, keeping her room clean, and watering the indoor flowers [her favorite]), and she did them without any complaints. When she was done (she had done her usual excellent job), Neil praised her, "Good girl!" petted her, and gave her another Poképuff. Neil then read her the story of Cinderella. When he was done, Bayleef said, "I can relate to that. The orphanage elders are the stepmother, some other mean Pokémon are the stepsisters, and you are the handsome prince!" Neil said, "I wouldn't go that far; I'm a human, and you're a longneck ( _Land Before Time_ term). I'd be more like a mouse. Heh heh heh." Bayleef laughed hysterically. Then Neil assured her, "I'm sure you'll find a Pokémon that's your handsome prince." She then said, "Then you're my fairy godmother!" He laughed hysterically. Then they played outside for a couple hours and went back in. Neil was happy to see his new pet so happy. He thought, " _I want to give her the best life possible._ "

 _Well, Charmeleon has evolved into Charizard, and it looks like he's having a blast tormenting the elders who had tormented him! Meanwhile, Bayleef has developed a strong bond with her owner, Neil. It looks like her life has gone from hatred and storms to sunshine and rainbows. What will happen next?_

 _I do not endorse revenge, but please review._


	8. Bayleef Gets Punished!

Later that afternoon,

Neil was walking into the kitchen to get a snack from the refrigerator when he stepped in a puddle. He knew he hadn't spilled anything yellow on the floor, so he deduced that Bayleef must have made that puddle. Of course, Neil was upset; he had trained her to go potty in a bucket, not on the floor. He then quickly calmed down and called Bayleef over. When she came, he asked in a calm voice, "Bayleef, did you pee on this floor?" She frowned and replied, "Yes. Why?" Neil, in a disapproving tone, answered, "You pee in your bucket, not on the floor, understand?" Bayleef answered, "Yes, Neil." "Good. I'll clean this up, and next time you have to go potty, do it _in your bucket._ " Bayleef smiled and nodded, and then she went to her room to play with her toy cars. Neil thought she understood, so imagine his surprise when he walked down the hall an hour later and saw a big puddle _and_ a big pile of poop! He shouted, "BAYLEEF!!!" When she heard that, she got scared. She had heard the orphanage elders scream like that, but Neil had never done that to her. She nervously walked toward him, and he noticed her fear. He thought about saying that she should be scared, but unlike the elders, he hated seeing her so frightened. He said in a calm but stern voice, "Bayleef, I specifically told you to go potty in your bucket, _not on the floor!_ Now wait here." She got _really_ scared when she heard that. It conjured up memories of how the elders would say that when they were going to punish the Pokémon. It was so awful that many Pokémon ran away, only for the elders to catch them and beat them into oblivion. She froze up. What would Neil do to her? Would he beat her like the elders? Would he disown her and return her to the orphanage? She was interrupted when Neil came back with a steam cleaner, her bucket, a broom, a dustpan, and a pair of gloves. "Now," he said, cleaning up her mess and putting it in the bucket, "This goes _in the bucket,_ _not on the floor!_ If you go potty not in your bucket again, I will punish you. Outside, you may go potty anywhere you want in the front or back yard; but inside, you _must use the bucket._ " "Yes, sir. I understand." "Good girl. Now get ready for dinner."

After dinner, Bayleef went into Neil's bedroom, jumped onto the bed, squatted down, wet his comforter, and then went to her room to play with her cars. When Neil settled on his bed to watch his favorite evening TV program, he sat on the wet spot. He grimaced, and then realized Bayleef had peed on his bed! He gasped in anger, and then thought, " _She couldn't have jumped on my bed and done this, could she?_ " Then he called, "Bayleef!" She slowly and sadly approached him. He asked, "Did you pee on my bed?" She remembered that he said he would punish her if she did. But she also remembered that Pokémon at the orphanage were punished the same, whether they lied or told the truth about doing things (unless the elders forced them to lie, and even then they were punished severely; the elders were that sadistic). But Neil would never do that, would he? So Bayleef sucked it up and told the truth. "Yes, I did." When she saw his face, she started shaking in terror. She had **_never_** seen Neil so angry. " _I think I made a mistake;_ _I should have denied it and gotten out of trouble._ " But as quickly as it had come, the anger left Neil. His scowl softened, soothing Bayleef's fears a little, and he said, "I'm glad you told the truth. I knew it was you all along. I would have punished you even worse if you'd lied. But I still told you I would punish you if you went potty outside your bucket, and you peed outside your bucket, so I'm going to punish you. You have two options: you can run away from me, or you can come to me." Before he said another word, Bayleef came to him. "Good girl," but it was said sternly, not approvingly as it had been said before. She remembered how cruel the orphanage elders had been to her, and how kind Neil had been, but she was still scared. Neil knelt on the floor and said softly, "Now put your belly in my lap." She thought, " _What in the world is going on? He can't want to pet me after what I did!_ (she remembered being in that position when he petted her before)" but she did as she was told. Neil looked sad, "I really hate to do this," he said as he held her down with his left arm. Bayleef thought, " _Oh no! He's gonna beat me!_ " She thought about all the times the elders cruelly and mercilessly beat and bludgeoned her for doing wrong things (and even completely innocent things as well), and she froze up. Neil didn't blame her at all. He also knew the feeling of terror from his own childhood and his own insanely abusive elders. Part of him wanted to calm her down, but he had to punish her, so he ignored that feeling. "Bayleef, look at me." She did, and he saw her so scared, there were tears in her eyes. Then he said something she had **_NEVER_** heard in her entire life: "I'm doing this for your own good. This is gonna hurt me more than it does you." His parents and elders had **_never_** said that to him, but he'd heard teachers say that to unruly students. And then, with his right hand, he began to spank her. It wasn't very hard, just enough to teach her a lesson. It wasn't at all like the elders' beatings; they were all over her body, and they were **_insanely_** hard, and this was just on her bottom. Nevertheless, it did sting--a lot, so Bayleef trembled a _lot_ , and she tried _very_ hard not to cry (she remembered that the elders beat her even more if she cried, unless they _wanted_ her to cry). Neil could hardly bear to see her like this (so scared), and he actually got tears in _his_ eyes. Nevertheless, he kept spanking her until her bottom began to redden a little.

And then...Neil said with a sigh of relief and a smile, "There now. All finished." Bayleef was _shocked_ ; was it over already? The elders ** _NEVER_** beat her this quickly, and they ** _CERTAINLY_** never said _that_. When _they_ got done beating her, they walked away laughing sadistically. Neil then said, "I didn't do this to hurt you. I did this because I love you. And I must punish you when you do wrong. Incidentally, why _did_ you do this?" Bayleef let a few tears fall as she whimpered, "I wanted to see if you really loved me. *sniff* If you didn't, it would tell me you didn't care about me at all! *whimper*" Neil snickered, "Well, does this answer your question?" Despite her painfully stinging bottom, she managed a small smile and said, "Yes." Then she burst into tears and wailed, " ** _WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! I'M SO SORRY, NEIL!!!!!!! I'M SORRY I PEED ON YOUR BED!!!!!!!!_** Boo hoo hoo hoo! Please forgive me!" She threw herself onto his lap sobbing. "You've been so wonderful to me, and this is how I repay you! *sob* *sob* I don't deserve to have such a wonderful owner! I should be taken back to the orphanage! *whine*" Neil gasped, "Ohhhh no! I am _not_ , I repeat, _I AM NOT TAKING YOU BACK TO THE ORPHANAGE!!!!!_ " Neil realized when he saw Bayleef get scared that he had raised his voice too much. He quieted down, began petting her on the back, and said, "That place was horrible to you. You deserve this home, after putting up with those awful elders. I'm glad I got you out of there. I don't ever want to hear you say you want to be taken back. And also, I forgive you for wetting my bed. I trust you won't do it again. If you do, not only will I spank you again, I'll also take away your toys. Understand?" Bayleef gasped. Not her toys! But Neil wouldn't budge. She teared up and said, "Please not my toys." Neil smiled and said, "I won't do it if you go in your bucket or in the yard. Everything will be all fine and dandy." And he hugged her. She said, "Okay, Neil." But then she had that feeling again. "Where's my bucket?" He replied "In your room." He waited three minutes, and then he went into her room to check. Sure enough, she had used her bucket! After Neil emptied the poop into the toilet, he found Bayleef, petted her on the head, gave her a Poképuff, and said, "Good girl. You used your bucket instead of the floor. Good girl." Bayleef was so happy to have the approving Neil back (although she knew he would become the disapproving Neil if she misbehaved), and Neil was happy to have the well-behaved Bayleef back. She kissed him and said, "I love you, Neil," and he said, "I love you too. You can do it."

That night, Bayleef asked Neil, "Can I sleep on your bed tonight?" He asked, "What's the matter? Don't you like your own bed?" She sadly said, "I want to sleep on the wet spot I made." He said, "Well, good thing for you I got it washed." Bayleef groaned. Neil said, "You shouldn't punish yourself for what you did. You've been punished once, and now it's over. Don't bring it back. Look forward, follow the rules, and you'll be good." Then he took her to her room, tucked her into her bed, and kissed her good night. "I love you, Neil." "I love you too, Bayleef. Rock-a-bye baby on the treetop. When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And down will come baby, cradle and all." Bayleef fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. Neil thought, " _She really loves that song. To think, I used to hate that song._ _Oh well, anything for Bayleef. I don't think of her as a pet very much anymore. I'm starting to think of her as my daughter._ " He felt new levels of love for her (a fatherly love, that is). " _Spanking her was the hardest thing I've ever done. I hope I never have to do it again._ "

 _Even sunshine and rainbows must have the occasional storm sometimes; Bayleef misbehaved, and Neil had to punish her. However, he did so in a kind, loving manner, nothing at all like the orphanage elders. They have developed character from this experience; Bayleef as a better-behaved Pokémon, and Neil as a fatherly owner. How is Charizard faring? The next chapter will focus on him._

 _Please review._


	9. Charizard Must Go!

The next morning at the orphanage...

"Ah, it's a letter from Bayleef." Charizard was looking through the mail, against the strict orders of the elders, and he came across that letter (he had discovered that the elders always destroyed any letters for the Pokémon) He opened it, and he saw a drawing of Bayleef and Neil playing in the sun outside their house. At the bottom was a message that said, "We are very happy together. Bayleef loves her new home, and I will never give her back. I love her too much. We hope you get a good home someday." That gave him an idea. He wrote a letter back to her.

 _Dear Bayleef,_

 _I'm glad you got a good home. Adoption might not be the big fake I always thought it was. I also hope I get a good home someday. It's terrible here at the orphanage. The elders are still mistreating us very badly! They beat us even for breathing! At least I'm still tormenting the elders and getting away with it. I know they try to punish me, but I fight back and always win. But that doesn't_ _stop me from wanting out of this hell hole._

 _Regards,_

 _Charizard_

He then drew a picture that described the living conditions at the orphanage. Of course, he exaggerated it, depicting the elders as grotesque, ugly, sadistic, foreboding monsters who ate the Pokémon under their care. The elders caught him and ripped up the letter, and he beat them all up! Then a Jigglypuff came over and said, "Hey Charizard, come to the art room. We're drawing pictures in there." Before the elders recovered, he went to the art room, where an elder was fiercely watching the other Pokémon draw pictures. "YOU!!!!! Young lady, what were you doing or of this room?" she screamed. Before Jigglypuff could answer, however, the elder screamed " _SHUT UP!!!!!"_ and _punched her in the face!_ Charizard retaliated by punching the elder in the face and taking a seat. He broke the strict rules of drawing only what the elders said. He drew all sorts of grotesque images (ghosts, headless Pokémon, himself eating the elders, lightning striking the elders, etc.).

When the art room elder came to, she saw the Pokémon drawing monuments, as they were told to. However, she saw Jigglypuff's drawing and ripped it up, shouting, "YOU CALL THIS A MONUMENT!?!?! I KNOW YOU WE'RE RAISED BETTER THAN THIS!!!!" And she had Jigglypuff dragged into the closet for a severe beating. Then she saw Charizard's drawings (ghosts, headless Pokémon, himself eating the elders, lightning striking the elders, etc.). She then picked up those drawings, found the other elders, and showed them the drawings! They flew into a rage, screaming at Charizard, " ** _YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL WE SHOW THE HEADMASTER THESE ATROCIOUS THINGS!!!!! AND YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A LONG BEATING FOR THIS!!!!!! YOU STAY THERE WHILE WE TALK TO HIM!!!!!!_** " He did; he was not afraid of them _at all._ However, he suddenly had to go to the bathroom, so he went into the bathroom (against the abusive orders of the elders), sat on the toilet (remembering that as a Charmander, he had taken a picture of the headmaster sitting on the toilet), and used it, but he didn't know to flush it (remember, the Pokémon there were not even allowed to go _at all_ , even on a toilet).

Meanwhile, Neil and Bayleef were on their way to visit Ella and Treecko when they saw an angry orphanage elder walk out the front door, grumbling as he made his way to his car. Then they rang the doorbell, and Ella answered. "Come on in! It's so good to see you!" Bayleef noticed Treecko hanging onto Ella with a great big smile on his face. She asked about it, and Ella responded, "Oh, he just took his adoption test, and he passed with a 75!" Neil said, "That's great! What's the adoption test?" Ella answered, "A week after adoption, an elder comes and gives adopted Pokémon a test. In it, they have to follow the elders' directions, and they need a 70 to pass and get to stay with their new owner If they fail, they have to go back to the orphanage. It takes about an hour. And Treecko got a 75, so I get to keep him!" Neil congratulated them, "That's great!" Then he turned to Bayleef and sternly told her, "Did you hear that, Bayleef? In three days, you'll be taking that test, and you'll need to follow the directions _to the letter._ No ifs, ands, or buts. Is that right, Ella?" Ella then said, "You described it _perfectly_ , Neil! It's an obedience test. They judge you on accuracy, attitude, promptness, and stuff like that." Neil asked, "Did you get all that, Bayleef?" Bayleef smiled and answered, "Yes, Neil. Sounds easy." Ella then said, "It's not. They make it really hard so the Pokémon will fail. Only ten percent have passed the test, and Treecko has the highest score ever." Bayleef whined, "I don't wanna go back to the orphanage! They're so evil!" Neil said, "Then get a passing grade on the adoption test. And then you can live with me instead of at the orphanage." Bayleef said, "Yes, Neil. I love you." "I love you too, Bayleef, which is why we need to start practicing for the adoption test." So Ella gave them some drills, and they practiced long into the night.

Meanwhile, back at the orphanage...

In the bathroom, Charizard overheard loud screaming coming from the headmaster's office. After he was finished, he followed his ears to the office. The elders were absolutely outraged with his behavior, and they were screaming at the headmaster to do something about it. Their voices overlapped, so he couldn't understand them. "One at a time! One at a time!! **_ONE AT A TIME!!!!!! CALM DOWN AND ACT LIKE ELDERS!!!!!!_** " Silence. "Now, there's absolutely no proof whatsoever that Charizard is in any way, form, or fashion involved with today's travesty." But the elders protested, "Who needs proof? He's evil!" "He has a wicked mind! Look what he did in the art room! Ghosts, headless Pokémon, him eating us, lightning striking us!" "Yeah, and he constantly beats us up!" "He ate the food very strictly reserved for us elders!" The headmaster interrupted, "And why do you think that is?" The elders screamed, **_"YOU NEVER REASON WITH POKÉMON, GILBERT!!!!! YOU ALWAYS BEAT THEM INTO SUBMISSION!!!!!!"_** "Well, that may be why he's doing this. Have you tried showing him a little love?" " ** _CUT THE NAMBY-PAMBY CRAP, GILBERT!!!!!! EITHER CHARIZARD GOES, OR YOU FIND YOURSELF SOME NEW ELDERS!!!!!_** " When Charizard heard that, he gasped excitedly. This could be his ticket out of here! "I'll just bring him in here so you can hear from him." So Headmaster Gilbert went to look for him, and was surprised to find him sitting right outside the door! "The elders will see you now," he crooned in a fake sweetness. Charizard put on a penitent act as he faced his tormentors. With tears in his eyes, he (fake) cried, "I'm sorry, elders. Please don't make me do the dishes, clean the floors, and lift those heavy chains! I promise I'll be a good dragon. I just want to stay here, learn your ways and become an elder. I promise." The elders murmured. Their tormentor wanted to be one of them? Something didn't add up. Gilbert then said, "You heard the little critter. Let me tell you something: it takes a big man to admit his mistakes. This here's a big man. And I have decided that this 'big man' will never be removed from this orphanage." Charizard's eyes widened. He asked, "Removed? What do you mean, removed?" "Well, you see, the elders merely suggested you might be happier outside the orphanage." Charizard laughed. _Hard._ Gilbert asked, "What is so funny, little dragon?" Charizard chuckled, "You are, Gilbert! You all are!" "Are you saying you'd rather not stay here?" In a frustrated, angry tone, he responded, "Are you kidding? _I want out!_ " The elders said, "See? That monster's incorrigible! We can't stand another minute with him!" Charizard agreed. "I can't stand another minute here, either!" The elders asked, "Are you going to listen to us or him?" Gilbert answered, "You agree, so what difference does it make?" "ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, YOU PERMISSIVE FAILURE!!!!" "Ooh, a name-caller, eh? I could fire you for this, but I won't. My mind has been changed for me. Charizard will be removed ASAP." Charizard and the elders said in unison, "WELL, HURRY IT UP!!! WE'RE (I'M) NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER HERE!!!"

Then Charizard wrote a letter to Bayleef.

 _Dear Bayleef,_

 _I just heard! I'll be getting out of here soon! I heard the elders complaining about me. They want me gone!_ _They bought my fake sorry act, and I could get a home soon! I just hope it's a good one, not like the other seventy I've had (I was returned to the orphanage_ _fifty times, but I had twenty other owners before I was first dropped of at the orphanage)._

 _Regards,_

 _Charizard_

He stole a stamp from the elders and sneaked his letter in with the outgoing mail. At that moment, he heard gagging sounds coming from the bathroom. He ran over and saw the elders arguing. "Someone used the toilet and didn't flush!" "It couldn't have been our Pokémon; we strictly forbid it!" "It had to be you, you gassy old coot!" "I have constipation issues! If I don't eat my prunes, I plug up for days!" "Well, one of us forgot to flush!" "What was that about plush?" " **FLUSH, YOU IDIOT!!!! FLUSH, NOT PLUSH!!!!!** " "Sorry, my hearing aids just conked out." "Oh, shut up! Your hearing aids are always on the fritz!" "Like you can even see them; you're blinder than a bat!" They were so busy fighting that they didn't notice Charizard sneaking past them to the toilet. He saw the flush handle and thought, " _What does this thing do?_ " He pressed it down, and the toilet flushed. Charizard watched with fascination as his own waste went down the toilet (he had never seen that happen before). He felt a great sense of pride; he knew how to use a toilet! Then he sneaked away, the elders completely failing to notice he was ever in the vicinity. "It was you, you ditz!" "Oh, come on, Mr 'I-Can't-Remember-My-Own-Name'! When was the last time you remembered anything!?" "Member of what?" "ARE YOU DEAF???!?" "I am now, thanks to you, foghorn!" "Don't call me 'foghorn'! I have bronchitis! I need to save my voice for those spoiled brats!" "Come back and fight like a man!" "You're one to talk, old maid!" Charizard was secretly videotaping this fight. He showed the other Pokémon the tape, thinking it was hilarious, but _not one_ of them laughed. "What's wrong? Don't you think this is hilarious?" he asked. They said, "We're not supposed to laugh. The elders will beat us senseless!" "Oh come on, party poopers! They're..." "They'll find out who is laughing!" Jigglypuff interrupted. "And my singing doesn't work on them!" Charizard walked away muttering. But at last he had something to look forward to. He went to bed happy for the first time in his life. He dreamed about how his new home might be. Who would his new owner be, and how would he be treated? Those questions hung in his head as he slept.

 _At last! Charizard may be saying goodbye to his life of terror at the orphanage! But wait! **All** of his previous owners have gotten rid of him_. _Will his next owner also get rid of him?_ _Or will he finally have a good, solid home like Bayleef? And how will Bayleef do on her adoption test? Will she pass and get to stay in her wonderful home, or will she fail and get sent back to that horrible orphanage?_

 _Please review. What do you think of the story so far? What other ideas do you have?_


	10. The Adoption Test!

Tuesday, one week after Bayleef was adopted...

After breakfast, Neil told Bayleef, "All right. Today is the adoption test. You'll have to do _exactly what the administrator says **to the letter.**_ If you fail, you go back to the orphanage; but if you pass, you can stay with me forever." Bayleef said, "I know. We went over this a hundred times." Neil responded, "You've done so well practicing this week. Just pretend that the administrator is me, like I'm the one telling you to do those things." "Okay. Pretend it's you. Got it." Meanwhile, the adoption test administrator was on his way to Neil's house, chuckling evilly. "Heh heh heh. We've rigged the test so Bayleef can't even get a 1, much less pass! Then we can torture her again, and it will be **_much_** worse than before! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" he laughed maniacally. When he arrived, Neil told Bayleef, "Here he is. You know what to do." "What if I don't know how?" "Politely tell him you don't know how and ask him; I'm sure he'll tell you." Then the administrator entered. "Good morning. I'm here to administer Bayleef's adoption test. Feel free to watch from a distance." So Neil hid behind the couch, suspicious of what the administrator would do. He continued, "And I will not have you shouting at me! **DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!??** " Neil came out and said, "Don't talk to her like that!" "I'm sorry. I just got new hearing aids, and they're working just fine." "Well, good. Good luck, Bayleef." She said, "Thank you, Neil."

Then the test began. At first, it was easy. "Roll over." "Sit up." "Play dead." "Fetch the slippers." "Lie down." "Scratch." "Stand tall." For the first half hour, Bayleef thought, " _This is easy. I'm sure to get to stay with Neil._ " But the test got much harder in the second half hour. "Lift the weights." "Do twenty pushups." "Sweep the floor!" "Mop the floor!" and other strenuous activity. Neil got worried. Were those standard features of an adoption test? But Bayleef kept obeying the instructions. The smile never left her face. Then the administrator called Neil over. "Final instruction: Kiss your owner!" She did so, and very quickly too! "All right, the adoption test is over! I'll go to the table and grade it. Do not disturb me." Then Bayleef's smile faltered, and she began to worry. Would the administrator (whom she knew as the elder with hearing aids) grade fairly? He was one of those who had broken the promise of an evolution party. But she had tried her best, and that was all she could do. In tears, she snuggled against her owner. She was scared that the elder would cheat and give her a failing grade, and she would have to go back to the orphanage and a life of terror. "Ten?" Bayleef heard the elder complain. She listened in..."Obeys without question, ten. Obeys with dignity and happiness, ten. Obeys completely, ten..." Her heart lifted as she heard that. She might get to live with Neil after all! Then the administrator finished grading the test. He approached Neil with tears in his eyes. In a voice choked with sobs, he said, "I don't know how she did it, *sob* but she got a perfect 100 on her test! Boo hoo hoo!" Neil and Bayleef cheered, jumping up and down as they did. "YOU DID IT, BAYLEEF!!!! YOU GOT A 100 ON THE ADOPTION TEST!!!! WE GET TO STAY TOGETHER!!!!!" "YAY!!!!! I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE ELDERS ANYMORE!!!!! I'M FREE!!!!!" The administrator trudged to his car. "What am I gonna tell the elders? They're gonna kill me!" Neil told Bayleef, "For getting such a good grade, we're gonna go toy shopping!" Bayleef cheered. It was good enough that she was now free from the abusive elders, but now she was going to get new toys! Before heading to the car, however, Neil texted Mario and Ella, telling them about Bayleef's perfect score.

Meanwhile, Mario had won the Bowser Castle Town Golf Tournament (with a grand prize of $1.5 million), He and the Kremlings were having a big party to celebrate Bowser's defeat. King K. Rool, while drinking a huge keg of fruit punch, asked, "Mario, weren't you going to adopt a Pokémon someday?" Mario answered, "Hey, I should have enough money now." Klump asked, "Are you getting a water type? We love water types!" Mario responded, "I was thinking more a fire type." The Kremlings murmured, "Fire is weak to water." Mario said, "But I could train him to face a fear of water. I remember doing just that during my five-year career as a trainer." The Kremlings then agreed. "I guess a fire type won't be so bad." "I hear that Charmander is a great swimmer." Mario said, "Actually, I was thinking a Charizard, but Charmanders do grow into Charizards (Charmeleons are the intermediate stages). Very well, I'll look into it." So he made a call to the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon. Headmaster Gilbert was thrilled to hear from him. "The famous plumber and golf master! What may I do for you?" Mario answered, "I'm thinking about adopting a fire type. May I look into it?" "DID YOU SAY 'FIRE TYPE'??! OF COURSE YOU CAN!!!! COME OVER...I mean come over ASAP and we'll talk." So Mario began the long drive all the way from his home in Mushroom Town.

Meanwhile, at the toy store, Neil was showing Bayleef the My Little Pony toys, but she said, "I don't like ponies." Neil said, "Girls love ponies!" but Bayleef said, "Not all girls. Several girls at the orphanage were talking about how they hated ponies in art, when the elders made us draw ponies; I was one of those girls." Neil said, "Okay. I'll take away your ponies if you really want me to." Bayleef smiled and said, "Thank you!" "What toys do you like?" asked Neil. Bayleef answered, "Wild animals and jungle-type things. I actually smiled when the elders said we were gonna draw jungles (even though I got beaten for smiling)." Neil said, "Fine. We'll buy some jungle toys and room decorations." And so they bought a set of wild animal toys, a jungle playset, toy jungle rovers, and a few board games. Then they drove over to the furniture store to look for jungle decor, but the store didn't have any. However, in the children's section, there was a bedroom set based on _The Land Before Time_. Bayleef was drawn to that. Neil said, "I think I've found what Bayleef wants," and he bought that set. When they got home, they began redecorating her room with the _Land Before Time_ bedroom set. When they were finished, they played with her new jungle toys up until lunchtime.

Meanwhile, the administrator arrived back at the orphanage. The elders noticed that Bayleef wasn't with him, and they immediately started chewing him out. "WHY ISN'T THAT BRAT WITH YOU!?!??" "Well, uh..." " ** _OUT WITH IT!!!!!!!_** " "Augh! My hearing aids can't take this!" " ** _DID SHE PASS THE TEST!!?!????_** " "Yes, she got a perfect score." " ** _YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO RIG THE TEST SO SHE COULDN'T PASS!!!!!!_** " "I tried, but..." " ** _AAAAAAARRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!_** " The elders began beating up the test administrator, the same way they beat up the Pokémon in their charge. They ended up knocking out his hearing aids. "AAUGH!!!! MY HEARING AIDS!!!!! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!!!" **_"SHUT UP!!!!!! DON'T YELL AT YOUR ELDERS!!!!!!" "I'M THE OLDEST ONE HERE, YOU RETARDS!!!!!"_** The administrator began to fight back, and the fighting went on and on until there was a knock at the door. The headmaster went to open the door, and it was Mario!

 _Bayleef has passed her adoption test! And with a perfect score no less! This means she is free from the abusive orphanage elders! Or is she? They were plenty mad about losing her; they can't torture her anymore. On a brighter note, Mario has arrived! Who will he adopt?_ _Please review. How good a Pokémon owner is Neil? And what ideas do you have about Neil and Bayleef's daily lives?_


	11. Charizard Gets Adopted!

Mario stood at the orphanage door, and Headmaster Gilbert invited him in. "All right, my little Pokémon. Someone just came to adopt. Mind your manners, respect your elders, look happy, you know the routine. And anyone who disobeys will be beaten and starved and **never** adopted **_EVER!!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!??!?_** " The Pokémon responded, "We love you, elders." Gilbert responded, "Oh, shut up!" All the Pokémon did what he said, but the elders approached him and whispered, "Bring out the fire types. We want to get rid of Charizard." Gilbert said, "This man wants a fire type. Come forward, fire types. Elders, beat the others. And there is no dinner for them tonight." The Pokémon groaned, and Gilbert bellowed, **_"WHAT WAS THAT!?!???"_** The Pokémon responded, "We love you, elders." "SHUT UP, YOU SARCASTIC JERKS!!! ELDERS, BEAT THEM GOOD AND HARD!!!" Then began the ruthless abuse. Mario couldn't believe it. The Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon had a great reputation and a perfect record, so Mario expected a kind, loving environment, not a cruel, hateful one like this. He saw only a handful of fire types: Magby, Growlithe, Monferno, and Houndour. "Awww, a cute little Magby. They become Magmar, then Magmortar. Nah, that Growlithe looks promising. Even as Arcanine, they remain loyal and affectionate, nah, he'd be too rough in his affection. Monferno, nah. Houndour, they become Houndoom, and Houndoom looks pure evil." Just then, he heard arguing. "You know the rules, Charizard!" "Screw the rules! It's a basic, necessary bodily function! What kind of rules keep us from doing what must..." " ** _SHUT UP, CHARIZARD!!!!!! TO THE..._** " Mario excitedly interrupted, "WOW!!!! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU HAD A CHARIZARD!!!!!" The elder gasped, "Mario, the great hero! Yes, he is a Charizard..." "I WANT HIM!!!" The elders smiled happily. They didn't think Charizard would be adopted that quickly. They got all the paperwork ready, and Mario adopted him. Charizard didn't have anything to pack, so he just followed Mario out of the orphanage. Like Bayleef, Charizard had no medical records, so Mario knew he would have to get him some, but he was so happy to have a Charizard that he didn't care. They ran to his car, and then they waved back at the other Pokémon. Everyone had come to see Charizard off, so Mario thought he must have gotten the pick of the orphanage. When Mario's car was out of sight, the elders cheered wildly; the dragon that had been tormenting them ever since he evolved into Charizard was now gone! The test administrator said, "He's sure to return when he fails the adoption test." The other elders responded, "Oh no! We are ** _NOT_** giving _him_ an adoption test!! We want him gone!!" "Okay." The cheering resumed; confetti and balloons were released, and the elders threw a party to celebrate Charizard's leaving, but no Pokémon were allowed to join in, except to slave and clean up. Any Pokémon who tried to join in (and none did) was beaten to unconsciousness.

Mario then made the long drive back to Mushroom Town with his new pet Charizard. He told him, "There's a bunch of crocodiles I hang out-a with, called-a the Kremlings, whom I think you'll really like. They're rough and tough. And there's a cute green dinosaur with a big-a nose who's really, _really_ smart-a, named Yoshi. There's also a cute-a princess-a I keep rescuing, named Peach. A big, bad turtle named-a Bowser keeps-a kidnapping her." Mario was cut off by the radio. "We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. King Bowser Koopa has recently announced that he's giving up being evil to become a good superhero! Here he is!" And Bowser came on the radio and said, "Yes, I have given up being a villain to become a hero!" He was greeted by cheers. However, Mario was suspicious. He knew Bowser only as a super villain, and he remembered the Super Mario 3 episode "Never Koop a Koopa," in which Bowser had faked giving up being bad (you can watch that on YouTube), but Charizard trusted Bowser. Mario then resumed his talk. "I have three brothers (at least in my headcanon): Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. Luigi is shy and cowardly, Wario is-a dumb and-a crude, and Waluigi is sneaky and devious. Also, there's-a this gorilla named-a Donkey Kong who sometimes-a bullies me, and-a his monkey sidekick Diddy. But enough of that. I am a plumber, a golf-a pro, and a jack-of-all-trades. And then there's-a my friend-a Neil. He just adopted a Bayleef." Charizard then said, "My pencil pal! I miss her, and I think of her night and day. She was my best friend at the orphanage." Mario responded, "Maybe you can see her when we play in the next-a golf tournament." Charizard asked, "What's a golf tournament?" "It's-a when a bunch of people play golf against each other. The next-a one is in Dune Town." During the next several hours, they alternated talking with just enjoying the scenery. Somewhere along the way, it began to rain. Mario expected Charizard to freak out, but he actually liked the rain (it was nice and soft, not hard and stormy). When the rain stopped, Mario and Charizard went to a restaurant for lunch. Mario had a pizza, while Charizard sampled some Pokémon food (the pizzeria owner was a Pokémon breeder as well). Food A had a crisp, vegetable flavor that he didn't like; Food B had a salty, meaty flavor that he did like; and Food C had a sweet, fruity flavor that quickly became his favorite. The owner then gave him a huge pot of that food, and Mario ordered a large Coke for him. As Charizard ate and drank, Mario noticed how many free Coke refills Charizard was ordering (seven), and he warned him not to fill up on Coke. Well, despite all the Coke he was drinking, Charizard still ate the whole pot of Pokémon food, and he was still hungry when he finished. Mario let him order some more food, but this time, he got a huge pot of the salty, meat-flavored food. He ate the whole pot, including seven _more_ _refills of Coke!_ Then Mario got the check. "$65!? Good thing I make enough-a to feed-a you, big boy. Which food do you like-a better? Fruit or meat?" Without hesitation, Charizard answered "Fruit." Mario paid the check, and then the two went back to the car and resumed the trip home.

Mario and Charizard eventually made it to Mushroom Town. Mario drove to the Mushroom Town Pokémon doctor's office. This office had a Doctor Joy (as opposed to Nurse Joy) and a Nurse Toadette. Toadette called, "Mario Mario and Charizard." They followed her to Doctor Joy, who measured Charizard's vital statistics and took a blood sample (during which Mario had to hold and comfort him). From that blood sample, Doctor Joy analyzed his nutrients and DNA. "Mario," she said, "your Charizard is in perfect health. Also, he's the son of your original Charizard. He had given him up when he was only a week old, because he was 'too weak,' although he was only a baby. I found his birth certificate, and he is 7 years, 114 days old." Mario said, "Wow! Thanks, Doctor Joy. See you later." "Hold it, Mario. He has to go potty before he can leave." Mario gulped. Charizard had eaten two huge pots of Pokémon food and fifteen large Cokes, so Mario warned her it was going to be a doozie. But Joy insisted. Mario tensed up as Joy put a bucket under Charizard. Sure enough, the bucket couldn't hold the entire bowel movement, and the _enormous_ amount of urine that followed made Joy say, "Mario, I hope you can clean up this mess." Mario said, "No problem! I'll just-a build him a special toilet." Then they were dismissed, but not before Mario bought a ton of that sweet, fruity-flavored Pokémon food (the same kind Neil bought for his Bayleef).

When they got home, Mario and Charizard were welcomed by the Kremlings, whom Donkey Kong had defeated again, and were once again bumming in Mario's house (see Yoshizilla-Rhedosaurus' fanfic _Mario and King K. Rool_ ). Mario introduced Charizard to them--the Kritters, the Klump, Krusha, Kludge, the Klaptraps, K. Lumsy, and King K. Rool. They really hit it off well; they showed him their rooms, told him about them, and then they all went for a swim in their huge swimming pool. Despite being a fire type, Charizard quickly fell in love with the water! They all swam for two hours, and then they all dried off and came inside for dinner. Charizard ate only a little Pokémon food; he and the Kremlings ate mostly fried fish for dinner, and Charizard loved it. Mario then took a picture of him and the Kremlings together, and then he texted Neil that picture. After dinner, Mario showed Charizard his new room, saying, "I hope you like clowns." The Kremlings had decorated the room with clowns and circus-related things. Charizard saw them and said, "Oh my gosh, they're retarded!" Mario asked, "Do you like it?" Charizard answered, "Well, there sure are a lot of clowns." He didn't tell him that he hated clowns. That night, Charizard was talking with two Kritters. "I'm afraid. _Every single time_ I've been adopted, I've been returned to the orphanage. **_FIFTY TIMES!!!!!_** " Blue Kritter responded, "Well, if he does, you can..." Mario, who had overheard that, assured Charizard, "I will never give-a you back to the orphanage. You're mine forever." However, he was skeptical, because ** _all_** his previous owners said the same thing. But Mario petted him on the neck, where he _loved_ it; that had **_never_** happened before, so Charizard decided to trust him this time. It was bedtime, so Mario put him in his new bed, which was every bit as good as Bayleef's bed. Mario would have read him a bedtime story, but Charizard fell asleep with a huge smile on his face, snoring loudly, so Mario decided, "Maybe another time," and he kissed him goodnight. His smile got bigger, and his snoring went into a high pitch. Mario took a picture of the adorable sight and texted it to Neil, who was reading Bayleef a bedtime story. She then said, "I love you, Neil. Good night." Neil kissed her goodnight ("I love you too, Bayleef."), and responded to Mario's message. "You adopted a Charizard! He looks happy." Mario responded, "He is. He may be a little slow to trust, but I think we'll be fine." Mario then started work on Charizard's special toilet.

 _First Bayleef, and now Charizard. Is this a story of happy adoptions our what? But unlike Bayleef, Charizard is still not sure Mario will keep him forever; after all, that's what **all** his previous owners said, and they did get __rid of him. Will Mario disown him as well, or will he keep him forever, as he said? And how will he fare as a friend to the Kremlings?_

 _Please review. Do you suggest any improvements? I am open to any suggestions you might have._


	12. The Dune Town Open!

The next day...

Neil and Bayleef had finished breakfast and gone to the bathroom. "Today, we're going to Dune Town. I have a golf tournament to play against Mario, Ella, and some others." Bayleef asked, "What's a golf tournament?" Neil responded, "It's a contest in which many people play golf against each other, trying to do the best." Bayleef asked, "What will I do?" Neil responded, "We'll find a hotel that allows Pokémon to be in the room with their trainers." So Neil packed a few outfits, his golf clubs, Bayleef's favorite toys, her food, and her bucket, and they began the drive to Dune Town. Like Charizard, Bayleef liked to sometimes watch the scenery as Neil drove, and sometimes talk with him. Neil then said, "Bayleef, do you know your ABC's?" Bayleef nodded. "Then try to find them in order." So she played the game. Unfortunately, she found it too difficult, especially on "J," "Q," "X," and "Z." When Neil congratulated her, she only half smiled. He asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?" She answered with a sad look, "I hate this game." Neil then said, "I'm sorry, Bayleef. I thought you'd like it." Bayleef forgave him with a smile. By that time, they had made it to Dune Town. Neil said, "Hey, we're here already! You see, time flies when you're having fun." They found the hotel they were looking for, although it took four tries. But the receptionist said, "You're Neil O'Neil, aren't you?" He answered, "Yes, and this is my Pokédaughter, Bayleef." "Pokédaughter?" "A Pokémon I adopted from the Marion Town Pokémon Orphanage. She's less like a pet to me, and more like a daughter." "Awww, but the hotel for the Dune Town Open is down the road. And they do allow the Pokémon to stay in the rooms with their trainers. But they also have a play area for them while their trainers are out." So Neil and Bayleef drove there.

At the hotel, Neil and Bayleef met up with Ella and Treecko. "Ella!" Neil called. Ella answered, "Hey, Neil. Your Bayleef looks lovely today. I'm glad she got a 100 on the adoption test." Neil said, "Yeah, me too! But that aside, are you playing in the Dune Town Open?" Ella responded, "Sure, and so is Mario, Luigi, and everyone else." Just then, Mario and Charizard showed up. Bayleef and Charizard were happy to see each other, and they ran to each other and hugged. Then the receptionist showed the Pokémon where they would be while their trainers played in the Dune Club Open. It looked like a day care center, with toys, activities, and such. Charizard asked, "Are you gonna feed us?" The receptionist answered, "Sure, unless your trainer says otherwise." They toured the area, and Charizard asked, "Isn't this place too small for everyone's Pokémon?" The receptionist answered, "Not everyone brings their Pokémon, and not everyone is a Pokémon trainer. There are one hundred contestants in the tournament, only thirty are Pokémon trainers, and only fifteen are bringing their Pokémon, so you shouldn't worry." Charizard and Bayleef thanked the receptionist for showing them around, and then reunited with Mario and Neil and went with them to their hotel rooms. She asked Neil, "Will I just be with Treecko and Charizard while you play golf?" Neil answered, "No, there will be several others you can be with." Bayleef smiled. Maybe she could make new friends here. After settling into their rooms, Mario and Neil sent their Pokémon to the day care center to meet the other Pokémon whose trainers were playing in the tournament. There was Luigi's Pikachu, Ash's Pikachu (yes, Ash was playing in the tournament), Yoshi's Dragonair, Joe's Kricketune, Kid's Venusaur, Bowser's Blastoise, Donkey Kong's Tropius, and Wario's Nidoking; but Putts brought five Pokémon: Zangoose, Numel, Masquerain, Lairon, and Cranidos. Luigi's Pikachu and Donkey Kong's Tropius were shy and aloof, Nidoking was standoffish and brash, Kricketune was cool and groovy, Dragonair was haughty and snobbish, Venusaur was smart and wise, Blastoise was stupid and silly, and Ash's Pikachu and all of Putts' Pokémon were playful and friendly. Venusaur took charge, Bayleef played with Putts' Pokémon and Ash's Pikachu, Charizard argued with Dragonair, Kricketune played music, Blastoise did stupid stuff and made Nidoking laugh, and Treecko hung out with Luigi's Pikachu and Tropius while all the golfers practiced and warmed up for the tournament. This went on until the golfers came back in from practice. Bayleef, Treecko, and Charizard then told their owners about their day at the day care. Then they had dinner, and then they played until bedtime.

During the Dune Town Open, Putts' Pokémon all watched the tournament on TV, and Bayleef gravitated toward her old friends, Treecko and Charizard. They would sometimes glimpse at the TV and watch the tournament. Blastoise would do stupid stuff, and everyone would laugh at him, even Bayleef. At the end of Round 1, she laughingly told Neil how stupid Blastoise was. He scolded her for it, "That wasn't nice! How would you feel if someone laughed at you?" She then felt sorry for what she'd done. In tears, she apologized, but Neil said, "It's not me you should be apologizing to; it's Blastoise." He texted Bowser, "My Bayleef has something to say to your Blastoise. What's your room number?" It was 412. Neil took her there, and Blastoise welcomed her coolly. "Hey! Wassup?" She sadly told him, "I'm sorry I laughed at you." He responded, "Hey, it's no biggie! Everybody does that!" She teared up and said, "It's still not nice. Please forgive me." "Awww, is the widdle baby about to cwy? I'll get ya some milk!" In anger, Neil said, "Hey! My daughter it's trying to apologize to you!" Blastoise protested, "She didn't do nothin! Everyone laughs at me!" "That doesn't make it right." "When in Greece, do as the Grecians do!" Neil, with a smile, said, "I think you mean 'Rome' and 'Romans.'" Blastoise said, "France and Francians!" "You mean French." Blastoise laughed, "Spain and Spainians!" "You mean Spaniards." "Spain nerds? HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!" But then he saw Bayleef and said, "Yikes! I forgot your milk!" So he got her milk, and she thanked him. He muttered, "Nerd." She heard that, and she scolded him. He responded, "No one else says what you say." "I want to be a good girl." "Get out of here, Miss Goody Two Shoes." Bayleef began to cry. Neil picked her up and carried her back to their room. He consoled her, "He was just being mean. You did right talking to him. I don't want you hanging out with him. If he wants you to laugh, it's fine to laugh _with_ him. But still, be nice."

As the tournament progressed, Putts' Pokémon taught the others how to play golf (as well as they could, being Pokémon). Meanwhile, Charizard, Dragonair, and Nidoking were making fun of Blastoise's idiotic actions and laughing at him. Imagine the delight of Putts' Pokémon when he won the Dune Town Open! The other Pokémon were sad to see their owners lose (Neil came in second, Mario third, Ella fourth, Kid fifth, Luigi sixth, Ash seventh, Yoshi eighth, Joe ninth, and Bowser tenth), but they cheered right up when Putts came over and invited them and their trainers to a camp out! But Dragonair huffed, "Why should I get dirty doing such a lowlife activity?" And Yoshi said, "Solly, Putts. Hakuryu and I wirr be too busy tlaining fol oul next Pokémon toulnament. A champion nevel lests." But everyone else readily agreed, and after one last dinner at the hotel, they were all headed to the campsite!

 _It looks like Bayleef and Charizard are about to expand their circle of friends beyond Treecko! All of them, except Yoshi and Dragonair (he used the Japanese name for Dragonair), are going camping! What can we look forward to?_

 _Please review. What ideas do you have?_


	13. Camping Out

At the campsite...

The sun was starting to set as Neil, Kid, Joe, Ella, Mario, Luigi, Wario, DK, Bowser, Ash and their Pokémon helped Putts set up camp. "You're gonna love camping, Bayleef. Gathering around the campfire, singing songs, telling stories, roasting corn, wieners, and marshmallows, building friendships." The other trainers told their Pokémon similar things, except for Putts, who didn't like campfire roasts. Venusaur saw a "Swimming" sign (the weather was unseasonably hot for April). After getting permission from Kid, he led Charizard, Bayleef, Treecko, Nidoking, Blastoise, Zangoose, Lairon, Cranidos, and Ash's Pikachu to a lake. Bayleef tried to get Tropius and Luigi's Pikachu to join in, but they shyly backed away. Numel and Masquerain, being fire and bug types respectively, refused, opting to stay with Putts (although Charizard, also a fire type, went to the lake), and Kricketune stayed with Joe. The sun was just about to set, so they wouldn't get much time to swim. Bayleef and Treecko didn't know how to swim, but Charizard taught them how while Venusaur watched the others swim. But soon it got too dark to swim, Charizard used a soft Gust to dry everyone off, and they all headed back to the campfire (except Tropius and Luigi's Pikachu).

At the campfire, Numel suggested, "Let's tell stories!" Nidoking told the story of the Three Pigs, getting everyone to laugh. Blastoise then asked, "What's a pig? What is a house? What's straw?" Everyone laughed, except Bayleef--she remembered what happened at the hotel during the golf tournament. He said, "Come on, laugh!" She said, "Oh, you're being funny, huh?" Then she did some pig impressions, and everyone laughed. Bayleef said, "I thought they were good impressions!" Lairon said, "They are! Do some more!" So she did, to the amusement of everyone. Then she told the story of Cinderella. Blastoise bombarded her with "How could she wear a glass slipper? Why did it only fit her?" She replied, "I don't know. Ask your trainer." Then Kricketune said, "Let's sing songs!" Charizard sang the song "It's a Hard-Knock Life" from _Annie._ Putts' Pokémon, as well as Charizard, Bayleef, Treecko, Tropius, Kricketune, and Luigi's Pikachu could relate to that, having lived at the Marion Town Orphanage before. They all smiled as they sang; those troubles were over for them, and they had loving trainers now. Then Bayleef suggested, "Let's roast marshmallows!" Zangoose said, "Hey, that's bad!" Bayleef replied, "Neil said roasting marshmallows is a part of camping." Zangoose said, "I'm gonna tell my trainer on you! I'm gonna tell!" And Numel said, "I'm gonna tell!" And Masquerain said, "I'm gonna tell!" And Lairon said, "I'm gonna tell!" And Cranidos said, "I'm gonna tell!" Venusaur scolded them, but they didn't hear a word he said. Numel said, "Let's ignore her! Give her the silent treatment!" Cranidos said, "Yeah, ignore her!" Blastoise asked, "Ignore who?" Putts' Pokémon answered, "Ignore her!" "Ignore who?" "Ignore her!" and they laughed. And Treecko, Kricketune, and Ash's Pikachu joined in the bullying. But Charizard didn't. "Don't listen to them," he said. But Bayleef asked, "Guys? Did I do something wrong?" They didn't answer; they just laughed at her. Treecko said, "And you can't laugh with us. We're laughing _at_ you. Hee hee hee." Charizard glared at the bullies. Bayleef began to cry. Charizard frowned and hugged her. "Awww, does the wittle baby need a diaper? Ha ha ha ha!" jeered Kricketune, and the bullies all laughed uproariously. Bayleef began to _wail,_ and she ran over to Neil, causing Putts' Pokémon to laugh _even harder,_ despite angry glares from Charizard and Venusaur. Neil asked, "What's wrong, Bayleef?" Through sobs, Bayleef answered, "THEY LAUGHED AT ME WHEN I WANTED TO ROAST MARSHMALLOWS!!!! WAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Putts began to laugh. "Roasting marshmallows? Ha ha ha ha! That is so lame!" Neil looked shocked. Mario told him, "Putts doesn't like campfire roasts. He says they're smoky." Neil asked Bayleef, "Who laughed at you?" In tears, she replied, "Everyone but Charizard! *sniff* He was nice enough to hug me. BUT STILL, WAAAHHHH!!!!!!" Neil couldn't bear to see his little girl crying so much. He glared at Putts and said, "I'm taking her home, and there's nothing you can do about it. Don't ever invite me to one of your campouts again." He then picked up his crying Bayleef, took her to the car, and drove home. She tearfully asked, "Why did they do this to me? *sniff*" Neil responded, "I don't know. Some Pokémon are bullies. I don't want you turning out like them. I want you to be a good girl, no matter how bad everyone else is." Bayleef smiled sadly, "I like being a good girl. I love you, Neil." "I love you too, sweetheart." Bayleef began to cheer up. It felt wonderful to be able to share her troubles with someone who cared.

Back at the campfire, Lairon suggested, "Let's sing songs!" Numel suggested, "Let's tell stories!" Charizard suggested, "Let's light a forest fire!" Zangoose said, "Hey, that's bad!" Charizard replied, "Like roasting marshmallows was bad?" Zangoose said, "I'm gonna tell my trainer on you! I'm gonna tell!" And Numel said, "I'm gonna tell!" And Masquerain said, "I'm gonna tell!" And Lairon said, "I'm gonna tell!" And Cranidos said, "I'm gonna tell!" Venusaur agreed this time. Numel said, "Let's ignore him! Give him the silent treatment!" Cranidos said, "Yeah, ignore him!" Blastoise asked, "Ignore who?" Putts' Pokémon answered, "Ignore him!" "Ignore who?" "Ignore him!" and they laughed. Blastoise asked again, "Ignore who?" Venusaur answered, "Ignore him." Blastoise asked again, "Ignore who?" This time, Charizard answered, "Ignore this." He walked over to the campfire and peed all over it, extinguishing it! The other Pokémon screamed in fright and disgust, and he laughed. Venusaur scolded him, "You are no longer welcome at our campfire! Go away!" He did, saying, "Ask me if I care." As he went back to the trainers, he heard Putts laughing. He got closer and saw him in an Ursaring costume. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha. This is going to be the highlight of our campout!" "Yeah, they'll be so scared they won't know what to do!" "And then I'll reveal myself!" "Did you have to pick an Ursaring costume? Why not a Beartic?" "There are no Beartics around here. That wouldn't be convincing." "I can't wait. Ha ha ha ha ha!" Charizard got an idea. He sneaked over to the food container, stole a deli sandwich, and skulked into the woods. There, he found a wild Ursaring who had just finished his business. "Hey, Ursaring!" he called. Ursaring looked. "Aah! A Charizard! Leave my wife and kids alone!" Charizard said, "Relax. I have a deal for you. There's a campout over there. Campouts are lots of fun! There's singing, eating, storytelling, and stupid bullies to scare. Scare them, and this sandwich is yours." He then led him to the campout, where the other Pokémon were singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" around the campfire, which Numel had relit. Ursaring saw them, and Charizard said, "There they are. Here's your sandwich. Scare them good." And Ursaring did. Mario came over and said, "That's a good one! Now do the reveal!" Ursaring stared blankly. Mario reached for his face, causing him to growl in pain. Mario recoiled in shock. This wasn't Putts! This was a wild Ursaring! He panicked, grabbed a tent peg hammer, and beat on Ursaring with it. Ursaring screamed and ran back into the woods. Then Putts showed up in his costume. Mario, not knowing it was Putts, began banging him with the hammer. Then Putts took off the mask. Mario was mortified. "Putts?" "I'm okay. Nothing I can't recover from." "Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't realize a real Ursaring was in the camp." Charizard, who watched the whole thing from a tree, laughed hysterically, so hard that he fell out of the tree. He fell on Ursaring, who was enraged at what had happened. He pinned Charizard to the ground and spanked him so hard he began to cry; he was reliving the beatings he'd gotten at the orphanage. But then Ursaring left. Mario, Ella, Kid, and the others stared in disbelief. Charizard had ruined their campout, and Ursaring gave him his comeuppance. They all packed up, took their Pokémon, and drove to their homes.

At home, Neil gave Bayleef a nice, warm bath, as he had done every night since he adopted her. She cheered all the way up, having a great time splashing around as evidenced by her laughter, although it wasn't like swimming in the lake. While she was bathing, Neil thought she might have to go potty when she was done, so he got her bucket. After some scrubbing, she was done, and sure enough, she did go potty in her bucket. Neil then tried to see if she was big enough to use a toilet, but it was still too high for her, and she began to cry. "Now, now, Bayleef," consoled Neil, "You still have your bucket and the yard to go potty in. If you need to go potty anywhere else, ask someone in charge. They'll tell you where you can go potty." Bayleef smiled, hugged, and kissed Neil. "Thank you!" Then Neil started to tickle her, and she laughed like crazy. Then she fell asleep, and Neil carried her to her bed.

"I can't get it out of my head that Charizard was responsible for the whole camping thing. You should have seen him. He was laughing his head off!" Mario was talking with the Kremlings about the terrible camping ordeal; how Charizard had peed on the campfire and how he had manipulated Putts' Ursaring prank. King K. Rool said, "Well, he's probably just wanting attention. Never underestimate the power of positive reinforcement. I read about it in the psychology book you got when you took us in." Mario protested, "What am I supposed to reinforce!? His peeing on the campfire? His manipulation of our prank?" K. Rool answered, "How about his consolation of Bayleef when the bullies picked on her? Teaching her and Treecko how to swim? Drying everyone off without towels?" Mario replied, "At least I can give him that. But still..." K. Rool interrupted, "Has it ever occurred to you that he may have done what he did because he likes her?" Mario protested, "That's no excuse! I'm glad that Ursaring taught him a lesson!" K. Rool insisted, "I would do the same thing for my friends, and so would you!" But Mario protested, "I always took these things with dignity and happiness!" _All_ the Kremlings laughed hysterically. "You, who always raged at Bowser for kidnapping Peach!?" Mario screamed and came at them, but Charizard was able to calm him down. Mario then said, "Oh, I'm sorry. You were just sticking up for your friend. Now I think that Ursaring overreacted. Next time, just tell me when that happens. Don't take matters into your own hands." Charizard replied, "I'm sorry, Mario. I just didn't like them picking on Bayleef. She's one of my best friends. We grew up in the same orphanage." Mario then said, "It's all right. Ursaring gave you your punishment, and it's over." He then petted Charizard, took him to the bathroom, and gave him a bath. Charizard had a great time playing in the tub. He laughed and giggled like Bayleef had during her bath. Mario then dried him off after half an hour, and then Charizard used his special toilet. It worked perfectly, flushing his huge amount of waste easily, but Mario wouldn't let him go yet. Instead, he taught him how to wipe himself. When he got it down, Mario took him to bed. Charizard grimaced at the clowns, but Mario's goodnight kiss cheered him up, and he fell asleep happy, filled with love for Mario.

 _Poor Bayleef. It looks like her new "friends" weren't friendly at all, but at last she has Neil to console her, and Charizard remains a good friend to her. Speaking of Charizard, do his actions sound familiar to you? They remind me of a certain redheaded troublemaker whose last name is Healy. Mario is going to have his work cut out for him raising this monster. But has he shown a motive for his bullying? Do you think he likes Bayleef, or did he just pick on the others for fun?_ _Also, what do you think of his uncharacteristic love of water?_

 _Please review. What do you think of the story so far? Why did Putts' Pokémon become such bullies? What's the difference between laughing at someone and laughing with them? Do you have any real-life experience with such things?_


	14. The Birthday Party

The next morning,

Neil and Bayleef were eating oatmeal for breakfast. Yes, he filled her bowl with oatmeal instead of Pokémon food, and yes, she loved it. She didn't mind the mushiness, because it was warm and seasoned with apples and cinnamon, making it delicious (totally unlike the nasty slop the orphanage gave her). Then they heard Parakarry give the "Mail call!" They went outside and got the mail. The only item was an invitation to a birthday party. "Look, Lisa's inviting us to her Marill's eighth birthday party tomorrow! It says for Pokémon to dress up! There's gonna be cake, games, you name it!" So they went to the party store to get her a costume. She found a taffeta party dress she really liked, and Neil bought it for her.

Meanwhile, Mario woke up Charizard to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fish, and chicken. After he was done, Mario told him, "I don't see why the newest member of my family shouldn't have his own allowance!" And he gave him a five-dollar bill. Charizard asked, "What's this?" Mario answered, "Money. You use it to buy stuff you want. You can also save it to buy better stuff. But first tell me what you want to buy." Parakarry then gave the mail call, and Mario found that Lisa was also inviting him and Charizard to Marill's party. Charizard wanted to go as a knight in shining armor, so the Kremlings quickly got to work taking his measurements, taking scrap metal and making it into an armor. It fit perfectly! Charizard loved it, and soon Mario and Charizard were heading to Marill's party. The Kremlings weren't invited, but Mario made it up to them with a banana party (unlike King K. Rool, Mario bought the bananas at the store).

Ella was lecturing Treecko about his behavior toward Bayleef at the campout (laughing at her with Putts' Pokémon) when she got the mail call. Lisa was also inviting her and Treecko to the party! Ella said, "I'll let you go this time; but if you bully anyone, I will punish you." Treecko asked, "But what if they hurt me?" "Tell me, or the one who's in charge. They'll deal with it." "Okay." So Treecko put a blanket on, dressing himself as an Arabian knight, and he and Ella drove to the party.

The next morning, Neil, Mario, Ella, and their Pokémon all went to Lisa's house for Marill's birthday party. True to what Neil said, the party was fantastic. There were party games, snack foods (pretzels, chips, popcorn, candy, etc.), and decorations, you name it. It was even more fancy than for Bayleef's birthday party two weeks earlier. She and her friends (Treecko and Charizard) were excited to see all that food, those games, and the fancy decorations...but they were in for a rude surprise. Lisa said, "No, you tramps! Those are for Marill and her friends!" Charizard protested, "You invited us here! We're guests; we count!" Mario said, "The party hasn't started. We have to wait until time. Why don't you hang out with Marill until time?" So they found Marill with her friends, Marshtomp, Corphish, Lombre, and Larvesta. Charizard said, "Hey, guys. Wanna hang out?" But Marill and her friends said, "Eeww! They're talking to us!" "Who are they?" "They're Charizard, Bayleef, and Treecko, but they can't play with us. They've got cooties." "Hee hee hee hee hee. Eeww. They're not even real Pokémon. They're adopted." "Stay there! We don't want your cooties, geeks!" Then they walked off laughing. Bayleef and Treecko stood there in tears, but Charizard followed the bullies. He tried to reason with them, "What are cooties?" But they just said, "They're what you got. Stay away from us!" He then insisted, "You're also adopted, you freaks!" They replied, "How can you say that? You're retarded! We don't want our friends to know we talked to you, you jerk!" Just then, Lisa called, "Okay, kids! It's time for games!" Bayleef and Treecko heard that and tried to join Marill and her friends (and so did Charizard), but they were quickly refused. "You can't play with us, and you can't play our games! Stay in that corner!" said Marill in a mean tone. Bayleef tearfully asked, "But why? You invited..." Marill interrupted with a sneer, "'Cause I said so, that's why." Treecko asked, "Huh?" Charizard bellowed, " ** _OH NO, YOU DON'T!!!!! TELL ME THE_ REAL _REASON, AND I MEAN NOW!!!!!!_**" Marill sneered, "Hmph, I don't need a reason. It's _my_ party and _I_ get to decide who can play with me and who can't. And you can't do anything to me, because I'm a girl! Nyahh nyahh nyahh nyahh nyahh! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!" Charizard growled, "Oh yes, I can, and I WILL!!!" and stomped his way to the trainers, looking for Mario. He remembered his instructions to tell him when he was being bullied. Bayleef and Treecko followed him, looking for Neil and Ella. When they found them, they told them everything. Ella wasn't very sympathetic. "Well, now you know what it's like being bullied. Bayleef felt like that when you bullied her at the campout." Treecko hung his head in understanding. "Okay, now go with your friends." Neil and Mario, on the other hand, were very angry with Marill and her friends and sympathetic with Bayleef and Charizard. They told them, "Go where you were before. We'll tell Lisa about this, and she'll handle it." So they did. Charizard sat in the corner and hugged Bayleef, who was sobbing into his chest. Her crying touched his heart so much that he began to cry as well (but quietly).

Neil and Mario then told Lisa all about how Marill and her friends were treating Charizard and Bayleef. They clearly expected Lisa to go over and punish Marill for her behavior, but they were ** _shocked_** at her response. "Oh, come on. Two dorks fighting their Pokemon's battles for them. How lame is that?" Neil and Mario gave her angry, incredulous looks. "You don't care that your Pokémon is bullying our Pokémon?" they asked. "Oh, shut up, you tattletales!" she responded. Mario and Neil insisted, "You're supposed to be an adult! Bullying should not be tolerated!" Lisa snarkily replied, "Well, if you don't like it, you can just leave!" Bayleef, Treecko, and Charizard all heard that, and they couldn't believe their ears! Bayleef's crying intensified, and Treecko tried to console her. Charizard left in a rage, because no one was doing anything about this bullying.

Neil and Ella came to where Bayleef and Treecko were, and Ella said, "Good boy, Treecko!" Treecko smiled and jumped into Ella's arms, leaving Bayleef with Neil. Ella then said, "You picked her up instead of tearing her down. That's the kind of behavior we love. That's a good, friendly boy," and she kissed him. He beamed, quite proud of himself. She then said, "Why don't you try again with Marill and her friends?" So he did just that; but they still left him out, so he went back to Ella and told her as much. Meanwhile, Neil was trying very hard to console Bayleef, but she was still crying like everything. Neil began to cry as well. Ella then told him, "Don't stand for it, Neil. Let's just get out of here!" With an angry frown, Neil agreed. He picked up his still-crying Bayleef and followed Ella and Treecko out of the house. Soon, they were on their way home. Ella said, "To reward you for your good behavior, I have a surprise for you when we get home!" Treecko's eyes lit up. What would it be? When they got home, Ella gave him the surprise: three hours of TV! In Neil's car, Bayleef was still crying her eyes out, and Neil had no idea how to comfort her. He did say, "You did the right thing by telling me. Lisa is in the wrong for not making her Pokémon mind. And so are those bullies." Bayleef just kept crying. Neil felt awful. He thought, " _What kind of town is this? Bullies are making my little girl suffer, and no one cares! I may have to move to a new town for the sake of Bayleef. However, I will give them one more chance. I hope she likes baseball._ " So he drove to the sports store and bought some baseball gloves, baseballs, and a properly-sized bat. Bayleef saw that, and she stopped crying. When they got home, Neil taught her how to play baseball, and she _fell in love_ with the sport. She cheered up a little. Just a little. Neil could tell she was still very sad about being bullied again. She wasn't as energetic or enthusiastic as she was before. And she didn't finish all her lunch or dinner, which hadn't happened since he'd adopted her. He became worried; he knew the bullying was having an effect on her, so he spent the rest of the night comforting her. While they hugged, Bayleef thought about the bullies, and she began to cry again. She sobbed, "Why would they do this to me?" Neil angrily said, "I don't know. But I do know that they will not have many other friends if they keep this up. You, on the other foot, do have friends: Ella, Treecko, Mario, Charizard, and me (your adoptive father)." Then he kissed her, and she smiled at him and said, "I love you, Neil." He hugged her and said, "I love you too, sweetheart." He then gave her some food, but she was still too sad to eat very much; she ate only four bites, despite the sweet, fruity flavor she loved. Neil spent the rest of the night trying to cheer her all the way up, but his efforts were fruitless.

Meanwhile, back at the party, Mario looked for Charizard, but he couldn't find him. Where was he? He was _destroying_ Marill's birthday party! He cut down the Happy Birthday banner, and it hit Lisa on the head. Then he popped a balloon right behind Marill, causing her to shriek and cry; he then ran off laughing. He was then seen carrying a lawn sprinkler into Marill's bedroom. Then he turned on the sprinkler, wetting everything in the room. Then he went back outside and ruined the game of Blind Man's Bluff (AAAAAGGHHH!!!!! You weren't supposed to join us, you freak!"). Marill was crying like everything, and Charizard was throwing her presents into the pool. Then he caught a Yanma and put it in the punch bowl. Then he peed into the piñata. Then he turned of the water and sneaked the sprinkler back outside. Then he replaced the birthday candles on the cake with cherry bombs. Finally, he hid behind a bush and waited for the reactions. When Lisa screamed at the Yanma in the punch, he snickered. When the piñata broke, releasing the soggy candy, the other Pokémon screamed in disgust, and he laughed. When Lisa lit the cherry bombs, the cake exploded, and he laughed hysterically. Everyone looked at him, including Mario. He was busted.

Mario then took Charizard and drove him to the Catholic church in his hometown of Mushroom Town, called St. Albertus Magnus Catholic Church. He found his confessor, Father Johnson, who said, "What can I do for you, my son?" Mario replied, "Actually, it's for Charizard here. He has some sins to confess." And so Charizard confessed to ruining the birthday party and the campout. "But it was only because I had to. No one else was doing anything about the bullying Bayleef and I were receiving. Please don't be too hard on me," he said with tears in his eyes. Father Johnson forgave him, gave him a rosary necklace, and told him his penance was to pray the rosary fifty times. Charizard didn't know how, so he taught him. He then told Mario, "Charizard has made a good confession. Try not to be too hard on him when you get home. Now, do you want to confess any sins yourself?" So Mario confessed his sins, received a short penance (which he took care of immediately), and then drove Charizard home.

That night, at Mario's house, Mario was talking to the Kremlings about Charizard's destruction of the birthday party. "I don't know what to do. Charizard is a monster with no soul. He has no regard for other people's feelings! He has no conscience! He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants!" Then Kalypso spoke up. "That's where discipline comes in. I use this hairbrush on Kip every time he misbehaves, and it does wonders." And she gave it to Mario. "Thank you. I have a dragon to tame." And with a smile on his face, he went to Charizard's room, noticing that the circus decorations were marred and the clowns decapitated. But when he heard Charizard's voice, his heart softened. Charizard was crying as he prayed the rosary. He was doing his penance. And when he finished, he prayed, "Please, God. I'm sorry for everything I did. I won't do it again. Comfort Bayleef and Treecko, and _please_ don't let anything bad happen to Mario. He's the only one who's ever been nice to me. Amen." Then he looked up and saw Mario holding the hairbrush. With a sigh, he turned around on the bed and raised his tail, getting ready for Mario to spank him. He was pleasantly surprised when Mario said, "No, Charizard. I'm not gonna spank you." He breathed a sigh of relief. "But I still have to punish you...I'm gonna take back your allowance." Charizard's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "ALL FIVE BUCKS!??" "Yes, hand it over." He obeyed, although he had won one hundred dollars gambling with the Kremlings. Mario replied, "Good boy. Now you should go to bed and think about what you've done and what you're going to do." Mario was so nice about it that Charizard cried in shame. Mario kissed him. "I know you're sorry. Good night. I love you." Charizard licked him and replied, "I love you too, Mario." When Mario left, he sneaked out of bed and gave the Kremlings back the money he had won from them. He thought, " _Mario has been nothing but nice to me, and I am not treating him well. What can I do to make it up to him?_ " He went to bed, hoping an answer would come to him in a dream.

 _Oh no! It seems like Bayleef is still being bullied, and now it's taking its toll on her. She's become hard to cheer up, she's not eating as much, and her playful spirit is suppressed._ _What do you think will happen to her in the future? Will she recover, or be forever damaged?_ _Also, do you think Charizard is really sorry for his actions?_

 _Please review. Do you know anyone who was that badly bullied? And what can you do when authorities do not deal with bullying the way they're supposed to?_ _Also, what do you think of the idea of Mario being Catholic? After all, he's Italian._


	15. The Baseball Game!

The next day,

Neil and Bayleef had finished breakfast (this time, Bayleef ate her regular Pokémon food, and she didn't finish; she was still too sad), and they were out having a catch in the backyard. "I got you signed up for the Weekend Travel Baseball League," said Neil. "The coach was nice enough to squeeze you in three months into the season." Bayleef cheered right up, forgetting all about the bullying at the party the previous day. And then, she felt a stab of hunger and said, "All of a sudden, I'm hungry!" Well, there was a patch of tall grass in car this happened. Neil watched in delight as Bayleef walked over and started eating that grass. When she finished, Neil was astonished; she had eaten the entire patch! Then they resumed their game of catch until she had to go potty. She asked where her bucket was, but he said she didn't need it; they were in the yard, and she could go wherever she wanted. Bayleef hid between the bushes and dumped her load. Neil then put on some examination gloves and secretly put the load around one of the bushes. Then he told her, "You can go in the yard and in the bucket, but you can't go on the baseball field." She said, "I can't go on the baseball field. Got it." Then he resumed the game, making it more difficult; his throws would be off a little. It wasn't long before Bayleef showed great skill at fielding. Then they worked on her batting. Yes, she stood on her hind legs and was able to hold the bat in her front feet, and she could hit anything Neil pitched (he was a superb pitcher and a powerful hitter in his amateur baseball league). "Wow, Bayleef," Neil exclaimed, "You're gonna be a force to be reckoned with on the baseball field! Like father, like daughter!" Bayleef squealed in delight. "Am I that good, Daddy?" Neil was excited, "Hey, you called me 'Daddy'!" Bayleef frowned and replied, "Well, yes, I'm your daughter, am I not, Daddy?" Neil replied, "Yes you are, Bayleef," and then they shared a big hug. The realization that they thought of each other as father and daughter strengthened their bonds, their happiness, and their love for each other.

Meanwhile, Mario's Charizard was not having any luck making friends. The other Pokémon in Mushroom Town knew of his friendship with the Kremlings, and they were afraid of him. Oh well, at least he was writing to Treecko and Bayleef and keeping up those friendships. The Kremlings bought a Charizard saddle mount (the kind in Pokémon Sun and Moon), and he hardly ever took that thing off! He _loved_ carrying the Kremlings and Mario around on it. He even went swimming with it on, going as far as to let Kremlings ride on his saddle mount while he swam! Of course, he had to take it off for bath time and bedtime, but he kept it on all the time otherwise. One day, Kip was riding him, playing horsey, with Charizard walking on all fours and eating grass. "Giddyup, horsey! Giddyup, horsey!" Then Charizard stopped to go potty. Unlike Bayleef, he did it out in the open, like a horse. The Kremlings laughed hysterically as Charizard took a full minute to empty his bladder. "Now that's what I call peeing like a racehorse!" Then Mario called him over. "I have some news for you. We're going to a baseball game this weekend!" Although he knew nothing about baseball, it sounded exciting, so he agreed. And then...Mario did something truly magical. He pulled a crucifix necklace (not a rosary necklace) out of his pocket and said, "This-a necklace has been in my family for three hundred years. My papa gave it-a to me, and-a now, I'm-a gonna give it to you." Charizard just sat there, stunned. "It's a family heirloom. I trust-a you will take extra-special care of it." Charizard carefully put it on. It fit him perfectly! He would have worn it to the upcoming game, but Mario valued it too highly, so he put it in his dresser drawer.

Saturday rolls around...

"Here we go to Mushroom Town, to Mushroom Town, to Mushroom Town! Here we go to Mushroom Town to play the baseball game!" sang the members of the Marion Town Hornets Weekend Travel Baseball Team as the bus pulled in front of Neil's house. Their game was against the Mushroom Town Mosquitoes, a team they had always beaten every time they'd faced each other. Bayleef arrived in her uniform. She had that intimidating look of a force, but the coach and the players laughed at her. However, an angry glare from Neil stopped the laughter. He sat next to her, just like the other owners sat next to their Pokémon. On the way to the game, the coach, Bruce Perry (son of Neil's stepfather, Boulder, who was insanely abusive toward both Bruce and Neil: more on that later), bragged about how his team had never lost a game. However, he put so much emphasis on his brutal coaching that Neil began to wonder, " _I think I made a mistake. Bayleef is not going to like him. He will focus only on winning, not at all on fun like I do; and it's bad at Bayleef's age._ "

At the game, both Bayleef and Charizard sat on the bench for the first four innings. Still, they loved watching the game. Joe's Kricketune (Marion Town Hornets) and Yoshi's Dragonair (Mushroom Town Mosquitoes) both pitched well, but Dragonair didn't even allow one Hornet to reach first base. And to top it off, she hit two home runs off Kricketune! Bruce bawled Kricketune out after every inning, calling him a worthless failure and a piece of @/#$, although Dragonair was the only one to even make contact with his pitches! Bayleef shied away from him, inciting teasing from her teammates. "Awww, little baby gonna cry?" "Yeah, she is." "She's a wuss." "Yeah! And she's got cooties! Ha ha ha ha!" And these weren't even the same Pokémon who bullied her at the party! Bruce then grumbled, "Bayleef, I have to put you in this inning." Bayleef gasped excitedly. Bruce continued, "I can't believe the league is making everyone play! The new rule is going to be the ruin of society. Bayleef is going to cost me the championship!" Bayleef scowled. "My daddy says I'm a force to be reckoned with!" Bruce had an answer ready. "All the worthless failure parents say that to make you pieces of garbage feel better than they should." Bayleef looked stunned. Was Neil's kind, generous parenting a mistake? Was she really a failure? Those thoughts burned through her head as she waited her turn at bat. Her thoughts were interrupted by Bruce shouting, "YOU'RE UP, BAYLEEF!" She took her bat and helmet and trotted to the field. Bruce then yelled, "THE BASES ARE LOADED!!! DON'T FAIL US, OR YOU'LL NEVER PLAY AGAIN!!!" Bayleef then purposed in her heart that she would do her best. She got in the batter's box and faced Dragonair. The two Pokémon stared each other down. And then Dragonair threw a blazing fastball! Bayleef swung. **_CLINK!!!!!_** The ball sailed well over the left field fence! It was a grand slam! The Mushroom Town fans politely applauded, but the Marion Town fans actually booed! Neil, however, cheered wildly! "YEAHHH!!!! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!!" Bayleef, who had been incensed by the booing, was cheered up by Neil, and she said, "Thanks, Daddy!" The booing intensified, in an attempt to drown Neil out, but he kept cheering, "WAY TO BRING YOUR TEAM AHEAD!!!!" Bayleef gasped in excitement. Yes, Marion Town now led 4-2. But still, their fans booed, no one hugged her at home plate (as Dragonair's teammates had done to her), and to top it off, Coach Bruce actually beat up on her (making her cry)!! " ** _YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF @#$!!!! YOU USELESS FAILURE!!!!! CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!?!??? MY MOTHER COULD HIT FARTHER THAN THAT, AND SHE'S DEAD!!!!! YOU FAILED ME!!!! YOU FAILED THE WHOLE TEAM!!!!! YOU'RE LUCKY I'M LETTING YOU STAY ON..."_** But Bruce was interrupted. "Bruce." It was Neil. Bayleef stopped crying. Neil said in a calm, quiet tone, "I was wrong to let my daughter play baseball for you. You are a disgrace to society. You called my daughter a failure when she hit a grand slam. I cannot, _can **not**_ allow her to remain on your team. I'm pulling her off." Bruce replied, "Fine! Spoil her rotten! See if I care. You're the disgrace to society, not me! Nobody likes you!" But Neil was already walking away. Bruce called timeout, ran up to him and shouted, "You stay here when I'm yelling at you! You're not treating Bayleef properly!" Neil argued, "I feed..." Bruce interrupted, **_"SHUT UP!!!!! YOU'RE INTERRUPTING!!!!! I DON'T APPRECIATE YOUR BAD ATTITUDE!!!!!!"_** "You will when my complaint goes through!" **_"I SAID SHUT THE @$*$ UP!!!!!!!"_** "I'm filing a complaint to the league office! I've had way too much!" Bruce continued ranting and raving, but Neil was already on the way to the league office, which was merely walking distance away!

In the league office, Neil complained about Bruce's behavior toward Bayleef, and he learned that he was not the first to complain about him. Bruce had received so many complaints previously (although _none_ of them were from people of Marion Town) that this one would result in his expulsion from the league. Bayleef then sadly asked, "Is Neil a 'worthless failure parent'?" League President Toadsworth answered, "No, of course not! Neil is just about the best human parent a Pokémon could have, which is surprising, considering he is from Marion Town, who has notoriously abusive trainers." Bayleef was so happy to hear that, she jumped into Neil's arms. After lodging the complaint, Neil took Bayleef home, thinking, " _This is the breaking point. We're officially moving away from Marion Town_ _. I gave them this chance, and they blew it big time. I will do research on the computer and find the best town for my little girl Bayleef._ " Bayleef was still saddened by the bullying and abuse she endured, but nowhere near as much as by the bullying at the birthday party, because this time, she was assured that the bullying would be handled properly.

Back at the ballpark, Charizard, who had also noticed the bullying -- all the way from right field -- decided to do something about it. He told his coach, who happened to be Mario, that Bayleef's own team was hurting her; but Mario replied, "Charizard, that's none of your business." Charizard started to argue, "She's my friend!" Mario said, "They'll deal with it. Knowing Neil, he'll go gung ho!" Charizard was assured, and he settled down into his role as right fielder. In the bottom of the final inning, with the score tied 4-4, Charizard came up to bat, but he told Mario, "I don't know how to play baseball!" Mario had an answer ready: "Hit the ball with the bat, and run to each base in order, starting with that one." But when he stepped into the batter's box, catcher Torterra said, "Hey, you weren't on the team last time we beat you!" Charizard retorted, "The guy I'm staying with is the coach!" Torterra sneered, "Oooh, don't embarrass your daddy. Hee hee hee hee." Charizard got really mad. Mario told him, "Keep your eye on the ball." Charizard took a swing. Strike one! Torterra sneered, "You couldn't hit water if you fell out of a boat. Ha ha ha." He tried again, but pitcher Hitmontop (Kricketune had thrown his quota for the day) threw it so high Charizard couldn't possibly reach it. He swung anyway, losing his grip on the bat and sending it flying out of the park, and into Mario's windshield. Everyone gasped. But Mario assured him, "It could happen to anyone. Hold on to the bat." Charizard thought aloud, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Hold onto the bat." Then Torterra said, "Son of dork! Son of dork! Son of dork! Son of dork!" Charizard knew Torterra was referring to Mario as the "dork." Soon, _all_ the Marion Town Hornets were chanting, "Son of dork! Son of dork! Son of dork! Son of dork!" Well, Charizard got a hit. "Drop the bat, son!" Mario said, but Charizard didn't. Instead, he ran to first base and hit the ball as it was thrown, knocking down Hitmontop. Mario said, "No, that's no good!" First baseman Lopunny shoved Charizard, saying, "No, you can't do that!" Well, Charizard beat her up with the bat! Mario yelled, "DROP THE BAT, CHARIZARD!!! ARE YOU NUTS?!?" He still wouldn't drop it, and he beat up the second baseman! Everyone now ran away from him! Well, Torterra waited with the ball at home plate, saying, "Here, dork. I got something for you." Torterra stood on his hind legs, and Charizard, with the bat, beat him in the family jewels, causing him to go cross-eyed and drop the ball. Charizard then chanted, "Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown!" Mario started in shock. One minute of silence later, he muttered, "I've adopted the devil!"

Mario dragged Charizard into St. Albertus Magnus Church. He yelled at him, "What were you thinking? Are you out of your mind? I've done everything I can. Stay here. I'm going to get the priest." But Charizard sneaked away to the confessional booth. Father Johnson wasn't there, so he took his place in the booth. Mimicking Father Johnson's voice, he asked, "What may I do for you, my son?" Mario, not knowing it was Charizard, said, "Forgive me, Father, for I sinned. I'm at the end of my rope. My dragon son Charizard does the most horrible things." "Interesting. What kinds of things?" "Father, in addition to ruining the campout and birthday party, he beat up the other team at a baseball game. I failed. The lizard hates me. I'm taking him back to the orphanage." On hearing those words, Charizard's facade completely dropped. He gasped, and screamed in his normal voice, "NO, YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT!!!!! THAT'S THE ** _WORST_** THING YOU COULD DO!!!!!" Mario gasped, " _Charizard?!_ _YOU PRETENDED TO BE A PRIEST!!!? ARE YOU INSANE?!??!_ " He ran into the booth, dragged Charizard out, and went to his car. Charizard was sobbing. "You said you were going to keep me forever!" But Mario said, "Shut up! You're going back to the orphanage, **_and that's FINAL!!!!!!!!!_** " Charizard felt _horrible._ The one who adopted him was taking him back, just like all the others! Adoption was a big fake after all! He couldn't trust anyone! He growled and grumbled all the way back to the car.

 _Is there no justice? Bayleef's coach acted just like the orphanage elders, abusing her for doing excellent work! What kind of town is Marion Town (not Johto's Marion Town, but Kinoko's Marion Town)? But at least she still has Neil, and they are planning to move to a better place. Unfortunately, just when Charizard begins to trust Mario, his worst fear, being disowned, comes true! Is this justified? Have you ever wanted to disown your child (or pet) for his extensive misbehavior?_ _Have you been disowned yourself?_

 _Please review. Have you ever been in a situation in which you were belittled for being excellent, the people call you a failure when you're the complete opposite, or any similar situation?_

Oh, and by the way, here's Boulder's story:

When Neil was only five years old, the Marion Town elders openly broke into house and kidnapped his father, Neil Sr. The emotional shock felt by Neil, his older sister Plum, and their mother Pine was compounded by the forcing of Pine into an abusive relationship with Boulder. He treated everyone so badly that Neil literally went insane! The beatings he received from Boulder and his son Bruce, the refusal of Pine and Plum to help him (Plum would say, "I don't know you"; and Pine would say, "You heard your father; I will not hear any of your excuses), and the attacks by animals instigated by Boulder caused Neil to develop the mindset that anything that moved was his enemy, and he would viciously attack with everything he had (sounds like Hydreigon)! Neil was taken to an asylum, where he severely injured many workers. Two years passed with Neil showing no improvement; but then, one day, Ella went to the asylum and fed Neil macaroni and cheese. That snapped him out of his insanity, and he was returned home. However, Boulder and Bruce were still so abusive that Neil ran away to preserve his sanity.

Three years later, Neil began his Pokémon journey at the age of 10. During Neil's journey, Boulder became the head elder of Marion Town, and the leader of Team Elder, the evil team of Kinoko (like Teams Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic, Plasma, Flare, and Skull). Team Elder did all sorts of things to the people of the Kinoko Region to crush then into submission, but Neil was always foiling their evil plans. This went on for a long time; but one day, Boulder was caught beating an innocent girl! Marion Town lost all respect for him and Team Elder. Only Bruce remained faithful to Team Elder. They recruited him to destroy Neil, and although he did everything they said, Neil _always_ defeated him. When Bruce failed to get into the Kinoko League, _everyone_ on Team Elder came over to beat him up. Bruce would have died, but Neil saved him. He stopped the elders, who turned on him like savages. They were so deranged that they ended up in the Amanita Town Asylum. However, they escaped and tried to suicide-bomb into Neil _during his fourth-round match against Mario!_ But Mario's Dragonite fired a Flamethrower that destroyed their suicide-bomber, thus ending Team Elder's reign of terror and Boulder's life. However, his cruelty still lived on in the form of his brothers Stone and Pebble and his son Bruce.

 _Please review. Did you ever know anyone like Boulder?_


	16. The Big Storm!

Mario drove all the way to the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon. Charizard growled and grumbled all the way to the orphanage. He muttered, "Why did I trust Mario? I should have known he would eventually return me. _Everyone_ else did. Why shouldn't Mario? His niceness and kindness was all a fake. Oh well, at least I'll have a little fun torturing the elders again. That's all I can look forward to. I was not meant to be adopted, I guess. But, I'll miss the Kremlings; they did all sorts of fun stuff with me. And I'll _really_ miss Bayleef. She will always be my best friend. Wait, when Neil returns her, we'll be together again!" That last thought gave Charizard some hope. But then they arrived at the orphanage. Mario would have dragged Charizard to the door, but he followed without any complaints. In the headmaster's office, Mario said, "Gilbert, here's Charizard. I'm signing him back over to you." But immediately, Gilbert protested, "No, you can't!" Mario insisted, "I can and I am! You gave me a bad Pokémon!" Gilbert retorted, "Bad trainers make bad Pokémon!" Mario protested, "I'm a good trainer! I was runner-up in the Kinoko Pokémon League Championship three years running before I retired from Pokémon battling!" Gilbert replied, "Oh, really!" Mario answered, "Really! You can't call me bad! Now take him back!" Gilbert still wouldn't budge. Mario screamed, "YOU CONNED ME INTO TAKING HIM!!!!!" Gilbert argued, "NO, YOU TOOK HIM YOURSELF WITHOUT THINKING, AND YOU WERE REALLY HAPPY TO TAKE HIM!!!!! WE DIDN'T HELP YOU AT ALL!!!!!!" Mario replied, "But that was before I knew how bad he was!" Gilbert broke down and started to cry. "You don't understand!" sobbed Gilbert, "He's been returned **_FIFTY TIMES!!!!!_** " Mario gasped, "What?" Charizard thought, " _And this makes fifty-one._ " Gilbert bellowed, " ** _I DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT IT, MR. 'I DON'T CARE ABOUT SKIN COLOR I JUST WANT TO LET HIM PLAY WITH MY DISGUSTING CROCODILES'!!!!!!_** " Mario shouted, "Wait! Wait a minute! Hold it! Hold it! What are we talking about?" There was a silent pause, and then Mario said incredulously, "First of all, 'my crocodiles' are not disgusting. But second and most important of all...fifty times? Are you sure?" Gilbert screamed, **_"YES!!!!!! HE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THIS ORPHANAGE FIFTY TIMES!!!!!!"_** He enunciated each word for emphasis. Mario was dumbfounded. He thought, " _No wonder Charizard behaves so badly! He's feeling unloved! No one ever wanted to keep him! He needs someone to love him. And I'm gonna be that someone! I'm gonna do something no one has ever done before! I'm gonna love this dragon! I'll love him when he's good, and I'll love him when he's bad! He'll come to his senses and realize, 'Hey, this guy really loves me!_ _I don't have to be bad! I can be anything I want! I can even be ruler of the Kinoko Region_ " He then told Gilbert, "Forget I ever came here. I'm not giving him back. I'm going to keep him _for-e-ver_." On hearing that, Charizard's heart leapt. He was so happy, he rolled on the floor laughing! Mario tapped him on the chest, saying, "Charizard, let's go home." Charizard then hugged Mario tightly, shouting, "I LOVE YOU, MARIO!!!!" Mario softly replied, "And I love you, Charizard." A happy trainer and Pokémon then went back to the car and drive all the way back home in Mushroom Town. On the way, Mario kept apologizing to Charizard for trying to return him to the orphanage, and Charizard kept forgiving him. But it was already night by the time they got home, so they had to go to bed. The Kremlings had a surprise ready. They figured out that Charizard hated clowns, so they redecorated his room with medieval castle decor and toys. He fell instantly in love with this new decor, but he couldn't play with his new toys; it was bedtime. He did, however, get to snuggle with his toy horse and dragon plushies, and he got goodnight kisses from Mario and all the Kremlings. He respond by licking them goodnight. Mario then said, "I will _never_ give you back too the orphanage. I love you, Charizard." Charizard responded, "I love you too, Mario," and fell asleep with his plushies. The next morning, Charizard and the Kremlings had a big food fight. As he cleaned up the mess, Mario began to reconsider keeping Charizard, but then he thought, " _I have to keep him. He's been returned fifty times; he needs someone to love him._ " He then noticed that Charizard and the Kremlings were helping him clean up. He then thought, " _It's official. I'm keeping him._ "

Back at Neil's house...

Bayleef was writing her daily letters to Treecko and Charizard, and Neil was researching new homes on his computer, when Parakarry said, "Mail call!" They got the mail and saw that one of the letters was from Ella. It read:

 _Dear Neil,_

 _I am fed up with the bullying in this town! Treecko has been crying a lot, and it's because of all the bullies here! I can't take him anywhere! Pokémon, trainers, and elders are all tormenting him, and no one is doing anything about it! I figured that the best thing to do for him is move to Palm Town. I remember that those people and their Pokémon were very kind, misbehavior was dealt with properly, and the elders led the people by example, not force. Treecko will grow up very well there, I'm sure of it._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Ella_

After Neil read that letter, he told Bayleef, "I think we have a new town to live in." He had been to Palm Town several times before, playing in golf tournaments. After searching his computer, he found that Palm Town was a great place with great weather year-round. Well, if great weather meant few thunderstorms, that is. If great weather meant little rain, Palm Town did have great weather during the winter, spring, and autumn; but summer gave incredible amounts of rain. Ironically, summer usually had _no thunderstorms at all_ (maybe one summer thunderstorm every ten years), while spring and autumn each averaged five thunderstorm days a year, and winter averaged one a year. However, last year, Palm Town had a stormy year (85 thunderstorm days, 7 of which happened during the summer, 3 of which produced hail [2 spring, 1 summer, and 1 of which produced a tornado [spring]; and 355 inches of rain)! Neil then took Bayleef outside. He got the hose and sprayed it up into the air to produce a rainy effect. Bayleef ran into the "rain" and really hammed it up, rolling around in the grass and mud and giggling the whole time. Neil asked, "Do you like rain?" Bayleef shouted, "I LOVE RAIN!!!! HA HA HA HEE HEE!!!!" Neil said, "Well, when summer comes, it's gonna rain a lot at our new home, without thunder and lightning! We may get some thunder and lightning during the other seasons, but summer will have hardly any!" Then Neil dried off his Bayleef daughter, took her back in, and resumed his research. But he was interrupted by a special weather bulletin. "A massive storm system, unlike anything this area has seen in years, is bulldozing it's way through the area, spawning severe thunderstorms, large hail, and deadly tornadoes. In its wake, at least eight houses have been destroyed in the Eastwood District. The Marion Town Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch as the system now looks like it's headed for Marion Town. The storm may reach Marion Town about sunset. Prepare yourselves immediately!" So Neil did just that. He checked his generator, packed food and toys for him and Bayleef and out them in the cellar, brought his outdoor furniture indoors, and closed all the window shutters. Finally, he kept Bayleef posted on when the storm would hit, and how long it would last. Bayleef had an idea. "Let's have a lock-in in the cellar!" So he brought her Candy Land game, her Land Before Time toys, and her bucket (just in case) into the cellar. Meanwhile, Mario, the Kremlings, and Charizard had huddled in Mario's basement; the storm was now pummeling Mushroom Town. When it was over, Mario went outside and saw that his house had no major damage; the food fight that morning had done more damage than this big storm! However, other houses did get damaged in the storm.

A few hours later, Neil and Bayleef were having a great time in their cellar. It was a family game day and slumber party rolled into one. Then he showed her his chess set and tried to teach her how to play, but she wasn't interested. While they were playing Candy Land, thunder began to rumble. Bayleef got scared, remembering the storms from her orphanage days; one time, the elders made her stay out in one of those storms (and she was only a Chikorita at the time)! But those days were over; she now had a happy home with Neil. He comforted her, saying, "We're safe in here." Being reassured, she walked over to the chess set and tried to figure out how to play. Neil found out she got interested on her own, and he proceeded to teach her how to play. She got it down quickly, and they played a real game. He won, of course, but Bayleef took a liking to chess. Of course, there were still those other board games she also liked, but she was tired of board games. She was playing with her toys when she felt that urge. She walked over to the corner, sat on her bucket, and did you-know-what. Neil wanted to go out and empty the bucket, but by now the winds had picked up, as had the lightning and thunder, so they were stuck in the cellar with the smell of Bayleef pee and poop. "At least we're safe," said Neil, and Bayleef agreed. "And you went in your bucket," said Neil, and he petted her on the head. She giggled; she had no longer expected to be rewarded for using her bucket. Then he turned on the radio. The announcer said, "And we're back, Kool Kevin here at Ground Zero. That's right folks, a tornado has been spotted just over the horizon from our studio, and boy, is it a..." Then the radio cut out, and the tornado siren sounded in the distance. Bayleef whimpered, "I'm scared." Neil replied, "I know. Me too." They wondered how their house would hold up against this storm. They spent an hour holding on to each other. They hated seeing each other so scared. A few minutes later, they heard the tornado approaching, sounding like a freight train. Neil said, "All right, this is it! The moment of truth!" Bayleef began to cry, she was so scared. The wind howled like that for one minute, and then subsided. However, thunder was still booming, so they couldn't go outside. Two hours later, everything was quiet. Neil and Bayleef could have gone outside, but they wanted to continue their lock-in, so they stayed in the cellar. They were hungry, so Neil ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and gave Bayleef a big bowl of her Pokémon food. After he finished, he noticed that she was still eating. She had the cutest smile while eating, so he walked over and petted her. Then she finished her bowl and would have hugged Neil, but he went over and got the Pokémon food bag and refilled her bowl. With a happy laugh, she began eating again. Neil got his cell phone and recorded a video of her gorging herself with a huge smile on her face. When she was done with that bowl, she was _still_ hungry, so Neil gave her a third helping. However, this time, halfway through, her cute smile changed into a sad frown, like she was filling up. Two-fifths later, she stopped eating. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said with tears in her eyes, "but I can't eat another bite." He replied, "Well, then you have a nighttime snack in case you get hungry during the night." She then said, "I want to play Candy Land!" As they played, Neil couldn't help but think, " _It's amazing the smell from her potty bucket hasn't spoiled her appetite._ " And it was atrocious. Bayleef then had to go again, and she did, making that smell even _more_ terrible. Neil then said, "That's it, Bayleef. The storm's over, so I _have_ to go out and empty this." Yes, Bayleef had filled the bucket _nearly to the brim_ with her waste! After Neil dumped it into the dumpster, he went right back into the cellar, where Bayleef obediently waited. Neil ran over and hugged her. "There's my good girl!" Then they finished their game. Two hours after more board games and fun, they decided to go to sleep; night had already fallen. Neil slept on a sleeping bag, and Bayleef snuggled next to him. They were happy to be safe, but they still wondered how much damage their house took.

 _Well, just when Neil and Bayleef are planning to move, a tornado strikes! How much damage do you think their house suffered? That will set back their move by a few days or so. Even so, they are safe, they did have a fun lock-in, and they strengthened their bonds as father and daughter. Also, I'm glad Mario changed his mind about returning Charizard. However, he is still causing trouble in Mario's house. Do you think Mario will really keep Charizard? Or will he push him to the breaking point_ again _, making Mario return him for real? If he does, will the orphanage take him back?_

 _Please review. What do you do when a tornado comes? And have you ever been stuck in a place with a bad smell? If so, what was it like? You would put up with it if it meant being safe from a storm, would you? Also, how would you feel if your parents were going to disown you, but they changed their mind and kept you after all?_


	17. Bayleef Gets Captured!

The next morning,

Neil and Bayleef came out of their cellar, and they were surprised at how cold the air was! The tornado of last night had been part of a cold front. They braved the cold and examined the exterior of the house. It looked surprisingly all right, considering that it had gone through a tornado! Other houses were not so fortunate. They had cracked windows, dented walls, etc. Neil wanted to help out, so he walked over to a neighbor (with Bayleef following) and asked if he could help. The neighbor screamed, **_"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!! I KNOW YOU!!!!! YOU JUST WANT TO GLOAT ABOUT HOW YOUR HOUSE IS STILL..."_** Bayleef interrupted, "HEY! My daddy isn't anything like that. He really wants..." The neighbor smacked her (making her cry) and screamed, **_"SHUT THE $!@ UP, SPOILED BRAT!!!!! BOTH OF YOU, GET THE @#% AWAY FROM ME!!!!! AND STAY AWAY!!!!!!"_** So they tried to help their other neighbors, and they got the same rejections! Neil took Bayleef home and told her, "I'm glad you stuck up for me, but you shouldn't interrupt others when they talk. Personally, I can't believe what he was saying! _And to hit a girl!!_ It's just like my childhood. Everyone in Marion Town was cruel to me! I don't know why I stayed here for my life!" Bayleef was dumbfounded. "*sniff* You lived here your whole life?" "Yes, and it's only gotten worse as I've gotten older. That's why we're moving to Palm Town as soon as we sell this house." They went outside and found that the tornado had completely destroyed the backyard fence! Pieces were scattered all over the backyard! Bayleef asked, "What happened to the fence?" Neil answered, "The tornado destroyed it." He could not allow Bayleef to play in the yard, or help fix the fence. She asked, "What can I do, Daddy?" Neil loved hearing her call him "Daddy." He was about to answer when suddenly three thugs raced over, screaming, **_"STOP!!!!! WE ARE ACTIVISTS FOR THE POKÉMON RIGHTS ASSOCIATION 'MARION TOWN FOR POKÉMON'!!!! WE ARE MAKING A CITIZEN'S ARREST FOR POKÉMON CRUELTY!!!!!"_** Neil calmly responded, "No, I am..." The thugs knocked him down, screaming unintelligibly as they did so. Two of them grabbed Neil, the other one grabbed Bayleef, and they dragged them both to their car. On the way to the police station, the thugs explained their role in Marion Town for Pokémon. They glowered at him, "It's scum like you who should be eliminated. Depriving this poor, helpless little creature of basic necessities like food, water, and shelter." Neil objected, but they cut him off at the first syllable. " ** _SHUT THE @#$ UP, YOU *$#@% MONSTER!!!!!!_** " Bayleef tried to defend Neil, saying, "You can't say that about my daddy!" Then their voices were gentle. "Don't worry. You'll be heading to a much nicer home." She cried, "I don't want another home! I want my daddy!" They replied, "But he has been depriving you of a full, wonderful life." "What are you talking about? I have wonderful food, a great bedroom, nice games and toys, and a bucket to go potty in." She would have said, "Or at least I did until you kidnapped me," but one of the thugs began to bawl. "Ooooooohhhhh!!!! How sad! He's trying to turn her into a human! Boo hoo hoo!" "I hate people who turn Pokémon into humans!" "He's a more hopeless case than we thought!" "We gotta get him locked up quick!" Bayleef screamed, "NO!!!! NOT MY DADDY!!!!!" They told her, "He's the one who's warping your mind!" Then she froze. Was Neil really making her someone she wasn't supposed to be?

Then they arrived at the police station, saying, "Officer Melbourne! We have a Pokémon abuser here!" He immediately locked Neil up in the jail cell. Bayleef immediately noticed that Officer Melbourne had a Houndoom on a chain. She asked, "Shouldn't Houndoom be roaming free, like you want me to?" Houndoom replied, "I know I don't get lots of freedom, and the food's iffy, but it's my job. It has to be done." Bayleef was angry. Something was not adding up. Houndoom was chained up with little food, definitely _not_ the nicer home the Pokémon rights activists said they would send Bayleef to; but they weren't even questioning Houndoom's owner, Officer Melbourne. Bayleef asked, "Shouldn't Houndoom be in a better home than this?" The activists had an answer ready. "She's a domestic Pokémon. You're a wild one." "Wasn't she once wild?" "No. All of her type are domestic, and all of your type are wild." This was a bold-faced lie, but Bayleef didn't know it. "Oh." After a pause, she asked, "What's my new home going to be like?" The activists responded, "Everything it should be. Plants to eat, water to drink and bathe in, friends to make, you name it." Bayleef sounded excited. "I'll invite my daddy sometime." They gasped, "Oh noooo, you don't want him abusing all those innocent Pokémon and kidnapping them." She protested, "He wouldn't do that!" They replied harshly, "Yes, he would!" With a bold smile, she proclaimed, "I won't let him!" They snickered, "Right. You won't get the chance to let him. He'll be in prison. Hee hee hee." Then she began to cry. Any excitement about her new home was eliminated. They assured her, "Once you see your new home, you'll forget all about him. You'll be so happy, you won't want to have anything more to do with him." One of them, knowing that wild Bayleefs looked up to Meganiums as parent figures, said, "There's a wonderful Meganium matriarch there. All the orphan Chikoritas and Bayleefs love her as though she were their own mother, even though she has never been able to lay her own eggs." "So she adopted them?" "Yes, and she's gonna love you and adopt you and raise you like her own." "So I'll have a mommy!?" Bayleef sounded excited. "Yes, you'll have a great mommy!" Bayleef smiled, "Would my daddy like her?" The activists asked, "You really love that maniac, don't you?" "He's not a maniac!" "He tried to make you domestic against your will!" "No, the orphanage did! And they beat me for everything, even when I was innocent!" Then the activists said, "Oh, we'll deal with them, and no one will ever hurt you again." Bayleef responded, "Daddy never did that to me. He only spanked me once for wetting his bed. Otherwise, he's been wonderful. He comforted me when I was bullied, gave me a birthday party, and got that nasty baseball coach kicked out of the league! Most everyone else was awful to me! Hey, how do I know you're not tricking me!?" They then showed her their fake certificates and said, "We're the most reputable company in the Kinoko region. You can trust us." Bayleef, still suspicious, decided to trick them into thinking that she trusted them. "Oh, I'm sorry I doubted you." They forgave her, and then they put her in a cage. She thought, _"I knew it! They don't want me to have freedom! I shouldn't have tricked them!"_ She then heard them in the distance. "We got her good. She believes us lock, stock, and barrel. She has no idea of our _real_ plan." She thought, " _I KNEW IT!!!! They're up to something evil._ " Unbeknownst to the activists, a video camera was recording all this.

Meanwhile, at Mario's house, Bowser knocked on his door, and Charizard opened the door. "Bowser! So glad to see you!" Bowser replied, "You must be Charizard. Can I see your owner?" Charizard replied, "Sure!" He led Bowser to Mario, and then he joined the Kremlings in a game of indoor trash basketball. Mario said, "Bowser, it's-a good-a to see you!" Bowser said, "Same here, fellow hero! Want to hear of my latest hero adventures?" Mario said, "Let's-a go!" Meanwhile, the trash basketball game had gotten way out of hand. Charizard and Kludge were fighting over a banana peel. "My ball!" "My ball!" "My ball!" "My ball!" King K. Rool stopped the fight, and then he noticed Bowser talking with Mario. He hated Bowser as much as he hated Donkey Kong. While Bowser was bragging about his stoppage of fires, his giving to charity, and such things, K. Rool grew all the more suspicious. He then forbade Charizard to have anything to do with Bowser. But Charizard approached Mario, and told him what K. Rool did. Mario replied, "Don't-a listen to him. He's a bad influence." K. Rool insisted, "Yes, do listen to me." Mario and K. Rool began to fight, but Bowser broke it up. "Heroes should never fight unless they have to. It's shameful the way you two fight all the time. Shouldn't we all get along?" Mario agreed, but K. Rool didn't. Mario and Charizard spent the rest of the day talking hero stuff with Bowser. "You should have seen me cleaning up after the storm. Everyone was so thankful, they cried and hugged me." Mario told Charizard, "You should be more like-a Bowser, who risks his life to be a hero; not like-a the Kremlings, who get into mischief." King K. Rool wasn't buying any of it. What Bowser said sounded too good to be true, so he was becoming more and more suspicious. He tried to warn Charizard, but Mario wouldn't let the Kremlings anywhere near him. Mario even let Bowser spend the night at his house, much to the delight of Charizard and the chagrin of the Kremlings.

Unbeknownst to Mario, Charizard, or the Kremlings, Bowser had Princess Peach tied up and gagged in the bottom of his Clown Copter.

That night, the police chief said to Neil, "Marion Town is taking this case to court. Judge Fairchild will take your case, Mr. O'Neil. Who's your lawyer?" Neil responded, "I don't have a lawyer." Then the chief said, "Reese Martin will represent you for no cost to you." "Thank you, sir." "Good luck, you'll need it. Marion Town for Pokémon has a really strong case." "I hope Bayleef vouches for me." "She will." "I hope they don't brainwash her." "They're the most respected Pokémon rights activist group in the Kinoko region. They wouldn't do anything like that." "I don't know." "But I do. Don't worry." But Neil was very worried. What if Marion Town for Pokémon did brainwash his daughter (yes, he considered Bayleef his daughter)? What if she turned on him? He didn't get any sleep that night, and neither did Bayleef. Would she ever see her daddy again? What was these thugs' real plan? Would they abuse her like the orphanage? Would she ever be adopted again? And if so, would her new owner abuse her, too? After all, Charizard (as a Charmeleon) had told her that adoption was a big fake. She would have cried all night, but at 3 a. m., she was interrupted by the activists who beat her for crying, treating her like the abusive elders from the orphanage did! But this time, the beatings didn't stop her crying, but rather intensified it, and they beat her unconscious! In her unconsciousness, she feared that she would get sent back to a life of abuse and terror, like the orphanage gave her as a Chikorita.

 _Oh no! As if being mistreated by their neighbors wasn't bad enough, Neil and Bayleef have now been ripped apart by some crazy "Pokémon rights activists"!_ _Will they ever see each other again? And what do you think is the activists' "real plan"? It surely can't be to put her in a wildlife reserve. And, Bowser has not given up being evil after all; he kidnapped Princess Peach **again**! What do you think he will do next?_

 _Please review. Have you ever been ripped apart from your parents? How did you feel? Have you ever discovered that your childhood hero was a fake, or that a reformed villain had not really reformed?_


	18. Charizard Is Gone!

The next morning...

Mario awakened to a devastated living room. His lamps were broken, his furniture was all over the place, and on his curtain was a message. "IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR PRECIOUS REPTILES AGAIN, IT'S GONNA COST YOU ONE MILLION DOLLARS! HA HA HA! KING OF THE KOOPA" Bowser had never become a hero at all. He was still the same villain Mario hated. And the Kremlings were gone, and so was Charizard. For a moment, Mario was lost in grief. Then he had all sorts of flashbacks. The Kremlings' constant mischief, all the ruined golf tournaments, Charizard's constant misbehavior, the trash basketball game, the campout, the birthday party, the baseball game, the mimicry of a confessor. All of these played in Mario's head. And now they were gone.

"All rise! Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge John Fairchild presiding." Judge Fairchild then said, "You may be seated. Marion Town for Pokémon, you may proceed with the prosecution." The Pokémon rights activists began to cry. "*sniff* This is one of the worst cases of Pokémon abuse I've ever seen! Look at how badly bruised this poor little Bayleef is! *sob* Boo hoo hoo hoo!" Neil wasn't buying any of it. He could tell that the crying was fake. But when he saw his Bayleef, he gasped! She looked worse than when he'd seen her at the orphanage! She was bruised all over, bleeding in several places, and had two black eyes! "Bayleef! What did they do to you!?" Then the gavel pounded. "Order in the court," said Judge Fairchild. "You may proceed, Mr. Prosecutor." The activists continued, "Neil is the most cruel, heartless, sadistic monster on the face of the earth! Only someone as evil as he is would dare to do this to this poor little Bayleef!" Bayleef was crying too hard to respond, and she was shaking violently. "We have reason to believe that he violently beat her with pieces of his fence that fell in the tornado." Neil thought, _"Why would I ever even think about doing anything like that?"_ And the activists fake-cried again.

In the Clown Copter, Bowser and Charizard were talking about prospective hero journeys. "I have some great ideas. We could help out in the Alola region, the Kalos region, the..." Bowser interrupted, "Shut up! You talk only when I say!" Charizard thought, _"What kind of hero is this? He's mean and rude, kind of like my old elders at the orphanage!"_ Then Bowser continued, "First, we will get something to eat, and then I'll decide what journey we'll go on!" Charizard then showed him his knight toys and said, "We can be knights in shining armor! I have our swords and helmets!" Bowser grabbed them and threw them away. "Hey!" protested Charizard, "What'd you do that for?" "Those are only toys, you idiot!" Charizard teared up and said, "Idiot? I thought you liked me!" Bowser slapped him. **"YOU DON'T CRY, BABY!!!!! I'M THE HERO HERE, NOT YOU, WORTHLESS TURD!!!!!"** Charizard tried to fight back, but Bowser overpowered him. "Now you _will_ obey me," glowered Bowser in a foreboding voice. Charizard felt helpless for the first time in his life since he was a Charmander. All he could do was go along with Bowser and hope that he wouldn't mistreat him anyway, like the orphanage elders did.

"The splinters we found in Bayleef's body were the same type of wood that came from Neil's fence," said the first witness for the activists. Then he showed the pieces of the fence the activists claimed Neil used to beat Bayleef. There was blood all over them. The activists fake-cried very loudly. "OHHHHHH!!! HOW COULD ANYONE DO SUCH A THING TO AN INNOCENT POKÉMON!!?" But the jury seemed to have evil grins on their faces. A few of them whispered, "That is beautiful. I love watching Pokémon suffer." "Quiet! You'll blow our cover!" They were interrupted by the judge pounding his gavel and saying, "Order in the court!" Then the witness continued, "I have this picture before the beating occurred." It was a picture of the destroyed fence, but Neil and Bayleef were not in the picture. "You can see all the broken slats. Neil could have used any of them to hurt this poor creature." Bayleef was _still_ crying too hard to respond. "If she had a _real_ mother figure, she could defend her from that! *sob* We can't go on..." the activists blubbered. Neil thought, _"I would never do that. I wouldn't even let her play around them or help me fix the fence."_

"Goodbye, Charizard! Goodbye, Kremlings! Oh, I am sooooo sad to see you go! **_ONE MILLION DOLLARS???!? HA!!!!!!! YOU CAN KEEP THEM!!!!! HELLO, GLORIOUS SUNSHINE!!!!! HELLO, PRETTY WHITE CLOUDS!!!!! HELLO, REFRESHING COOL!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!! IT'S-A ME, MARIO!!!!!_** " Mario shouted with glee as he jumped around his living room. It was as if he had forgotten all about the good times they all had together. The swim parties, the golf tournaments, the fun and games, the delicious meals, those were all gone, too, but Mario didn't even notice.

The next witness for Marion Town for Pokémon stated his case. "I found a lot of illegal drugs in his bedroom." Then he showed the picture of the drugs to the jury. They all gasped. Neil tried to object. "Objection! I do not take drugs." The witness responded, "We caught him just in time to keep him from using them." Judge Fairchild said, "Objection overruled. Proceed, sir." Then the witness brought forth a barrage of drug-related lies about Neil. The jury's facial expressions showed that they believed those lies. Neil got scared. He was about to be convicted of two crimes he didn't commit.

In the Clown Copter, Princess Peach got herself ungagged. In tears, she protested, "I thought you were supposed to be a hero! You said you gave this all up! You told everyone you were a new turtle!" Charizard couldn't believe his ears. He thought, _"The Kremlings were right. Bowser is his same evil, villainous self who tormented Mario and Peach. If I ever get away, I will apologize to the Kremlings for doubting them, and I will warn Mario!"_ Bowser told Peach, "I _am_ a hero, you retard!" Peach flew into a rage and screamed, "RETARD!?!? **_RETARD?!?!???!?? I HAVE AN I.Q. OF 175!!!!! I AM NOT SOME HELPLESS DAMSEL IN DISTRESS YOU CAN TIE UP AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH!!!!!!!!_**" Bowser snapped, "You shut up!" Peach responded in an _absolute rage,_ " ** _I WILL NOT SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!_** " Well, Bowser stuffed her into a suitcase. She screamed, **_"HEY, LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS SOMEDAY!!!!!!!!! THAT'S RIGHT; WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU, YOU'RE GONNA BE SINGING FALSETTO!!!!!!!!"_** Charizard wanted to escape, but he was too scared; he could only watch helplessly.

"HEEEEEERE'S DADDY!!!!!!" screamed Mario as he entered Charizard's room, which was completely destroyed. "GOODBYE, CHARIZARD!!! HASTA LUEGO!!! AU REVOIR!!! ARRIVEDERCI!!! SAYONARA!!! GET LOST!!!" Then he went to Charizard's desk and pulled several drawings out of the drawer. The first drawing was of Luigi wearing a dirty diaper and crying like everything. "Yes, that's very creative, Charizard!" The next was of Wario as a pig wallowing in mud. "Ha ha ha ha! Very funny!" As Mario saw each picture, he threw it aside. He saw Peach as an evil witch. "Yeah! Right on the money!" Yoshi as a giant, greedy dragon. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" The Kremlings as party animals. "I couldn't have done any better myself!" Bowser as a superhero with a cape. "Yes, he's the greatest hero ever!" Mario as a guardian angel cradling Charizard in his arms. A guardian angel? Yes, a guardian angel. More drawings of Mario and Charizard. All happy drawings. Mario then noticed something. Charizard had kept the crucifix necklace he'd given him. All this could mean only one thing. "He liked me. All this time, he actually liked me. I can't let Bowser keep him. He's my son, and I need to rescue him!" So he set out to do just that.

Meanwhile, court had taken a recess. In their room, the Pokémon rights activists whispered, "We have this case in the bag. There is no evidence Neil can give that will convince the jury he's innocent. And then, we can take Bayleef back to the orphanage, and what we did to her back then and just now will be mild compared to what we're gonna do. Heh heh heh heh." Bayleef gasped. So this was their real plan! They wanted to rip her away from the kindest, nicest man she ever knew and return her to her life of abuse and hatred! She was now recovering enough to talk, and she wanted to tell them off, but then a Jynx approached her and began brainwashing her. " _Neil is evil and abusive. He starves you, he beats you, he manipulates you. You don't want to live with him. He will eventually kill you,"_ Jynx kept repeating. Eventually, Bayleef was successfully brainwashed, and Jynx repeated, " _Now you will testify against Neil."_ Bayleef responded, " _Testify against Neil._ "

 _The plot thickens! Both Bowser and the "Pokémon rights activists" have revealed their true evil colors, concerning Bayleef and Charizard deeply. And now Bayleef has been brainwashed into testifying against her loving adoptive father! That should tell you how evil these "activists" are. On the brighter_ _side, Mario has come to his senses and realized that Charizard is not the evil monster he thought he was. Will Bayleef and Charizard ever see their adoptive fathers again?_

 _Please review. Have you ever been falsely accused, taken to court, or both?_


	19. Charizard Is Rescued!

Mario set out to rescue his Charizard. He knew that Stone Perry (see note after chapter 15, "The Baseball Game!") was running for governor of the Kinoko region, and he was his campaign manager. He also remembered that he was very rich, gave to charity, was loved by almost all, and went by Uncle Stone (everyone called him that, not just Neil). Mario asked his friend Toad where Uncle Stone was, and Toad told him he was at the political rally at Toad Town Square. Mario drove there, and Uncle Stone chided him, "Where have you been? Did you forget about today's rally?" Mario didn't miss a beat. "Charizard's been kidnapped. I need a million dollars to save him." But Uncle Stone wouldn't help him. "That dragon is the worst, cruelest, and most monstrous felon ever to deface the planet!" Mario retorted, "I know he's done wrong, but he's my son..." Uncle Stone interrupted, " **DON'T INTERRUPT ME!!!!!! I'M THE ONE WHO'S RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, NOT YOU!!!!! YOU ARE JUST...** " Mario interrupted, " ** _THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, YOU IDIOT!!!!! I NEED THE MILLION DOLLARS TO SAVE MY SON!!!!!!!! WOULD IT KILL YOU TO EXPRESS CHARITY NOW???????_** " Uncle Stone yelled, **_"WATCH YOUR MOUTH WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO!!!!!!!! DON'T ARGUE WITH ME!!!!!!!! I'M NOT GIVING YOU ONE PENNY, AND THAT'S FINAL!!!!!!!"_** That was the wrong thing to say to Mario when he was that angry. He yelled, **_"THAT DOES IT!!!!!!! I QUIT AS YOUR CAMPAIGN MANAGER!!!!!!!"_** Uncle Stone replied, "Fine, just get out of here! I have a campaign to win!" Mario then said, "Oh, your campaign. The one thing you do care about." Then he got the idea to sink the campaign. He walked over to the TV camera, said, "Hey Uncle Stone, why don't you tell the voters what you really plan to do to the Kinoko Region!" and discreetly flipped the camera switch on. On TV, the announcer said, "And it looks like we're ready for that live feed from Uncle Stone!" Uncle Stone ranted and raved, "I don't give a flying feather about the voters! What I care about is money and power, and that's why I'm a success, and you're not. Kinoko for the Kinokoans! If you believe that nonsense, you're completely retarded! I'd sell my soul to the Kantonese if they'd make me an offer. And as for you, don't come crawling to me if you want anything. The only thing you'll get from me is this!" Then Uncle Stone turned his rear toward Mario and farted loudly. The viewers gasped in shock. They were now seeing Uncle Stone for who he really was, a cruel, greedy, disdainful, selfish, obnoxious, crude, boorish jerk! A riot ensued, but Mario and Uncle Stone escaped. However, the damage was done; Uncle Stone's approval rating dropped from 99% to 0% in a matter of minutes!

Mario went to a toy store to buy play money. After buying one set, he counted only $364.10. Mario panicked for a while, but then he thought, " _Wait a minute! I could just print a bunch of play money._ " So he did just that. Fortunately, he had just enough paper for a million play dollars. Then he stuffed it all in a suitcase and called Bowser, who drawled, "Ya got my money?" Mario answered, "Yes, I have your money." "Good. Meet me at the Fungus Bros. Circus." "See ya there!" So Mario drove there.

Meanwhile, in court, Reese Martin was beginning his defense of Neil. "We don't know from all that evidence that Neil had anything to do with the abuse. From what I understand, Bayleef was skinny and underweight when she was adopted. Look how rotund and well-nourished she is now." The activists for Marion Town for Pokémon objected. "Objection! That's only because we fed her when Neil would let her out!" Reese said, "Neil has plenty of food for her." They interrupted, "That's because he eats it himself!" Judge Fairchild said, "Objection overruled." The jury flew into a rage! It took three "Order in the court"s to shut them down! The activists objected again. "We have an eyewitness sketch of Neil eating Bayleef's food!" They showed a crude sketch of Neil enjoying that food. Judge Fairchild then said, "Objections sustained." Neil objected to that. "I don't even like Pokémon food!" Some jurors said, "No doubt he ate it under the influence. Everyone knows how drugged he is." And all the jurors agreed. Fairchild said, "Order in the court," but it was too late. Joe and Kid, Neil's childhood friends, whom he knew would stick up for him, were absent, so _the whole jury_ was against him. And to top it off, Bayleef was hypnotized. Her eyes were glazed over, and she had a dazed expression on her face. She kept repeating, "Neil is cruel, evil, and sadistic. Neil is cruel, evil, and sadistic." The activists slapped her, knocking her down. The youngest activist bellowed, " ** _QUIET!!!!!! YOU DON'T TALK IN THIS COURTROOM UNLESS WE SAY SO!!!!!!! WE ARE YOUR..._** " The oldest activist slapped him and whispered, "Quiet! You'll blow our cover!" But the jury either didn't notice, or were glad that Bayleef was suffering.

Later, during recess, Reese told Neil, "I don't know why I'm defending you. My parents were right. I should have become a doctor, then I would have been rolling in dough! Instead, I'm barely paying my rent defending worthless lowlifes in court. I don't think we can win this case. Our opposition is too powerful. They have an answer for everything we say. They've even hypnotized your pet. This will be my last case." Neil said, "So you're going to do what your parents wanted, and become a doctor?" "I can't afford to." "I'll pay your tuition." "No, I can't ask you to do that." "I'd be happy to." "No. This is my life." "But you said this was your last case!" "I want to be a stage actor!" After they talked for a while, Neil said, "Reese, you should become an actor!" Reese agreed. "Thank you so much. I hope you win this case." "And I hope you enjoy your new career."

 ** _"HELP!!!! SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE, KOOPA!!!! WHY ISN'T ANYBODY DOING ANYTHING!??? I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE!!!! I CAN HEAR YOU BREATHING!!!!"_** Peach bellowed from the bottom of the Clown Copter, but no one responded. ** _"WHEN I GET THROUGH WITH YOU, BOWSER, YOU'LL WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!!!! I'LL GET YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!!!! IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT THIS INSTANT, I'LL TELL EVERYONE YOUR REAL PLANS!!!! YOU ARE SO GOING DOWN!!!! I WILL DESTROY YOU, AND THEN I'LL DESTROY WHAT'S LEFT OF YOU!!!!! YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU EVER EXISTED!!!!!!"_**

Meanwhile, Bowser was dragging Charizard around the circus. Charizard hated clowns, but he didn't mind some of the other attractions. An hour passed with Bowser showing Charizard things he didn't want to see, and Charizard remaining silent. He thought, _"Why did I ever look up to this monster? He's nothing like a hero, and everything like a villain!!"_ Charizard asked Bowser, "Can we see the bearded lady?" Bowser smacked him and screamed, "NO!!! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO RESPECT ME AND ** _BE QUIET!!!!!_** YOU DO THIS AGAIN AND I'LL **_REALLY HURT YOU!!!!!_** " Then Charizard heard a familiar voice. "HEY, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY???" Charizard looked up, and it was Mario! He was carrying a suitcase. "Nobody hurts my son and gets away with it!" Bowser said, "You got my money?" Mario answered, "Right here. We'll switch on three." Mario thought, _"Bowser doesn't know this is play money."_ Bowser thought, _"Mario doesn't know that I'm gonna trick him."_ Mario said, "One, two, three!" And Mario threw Bowser the suitcase, but Bowser didn't release Charizard. Mario noticed, and protested, "You didn't release him! You were supposed to release him!" Bowser retorted, "He doesn't want to be with you. He wants to be with me, right?" Then, turning to Charizard, he said, "How about it? We'll go on hero adventures, indulge ourselves, pay all the games we want. Why don't you do it, just for kicks?" Charizard replied, "Yeah, kicks." Then he kicked Bowser in the groin, flew over to Mario, and hugged him. Mario asked, "Charizard, are you all right?" Charizard answered, "Yeah, I'm doing great, Dad." Mario was stunned. Charizard finally called him "Dad"! "You called me 'Dad'!" "Of course, you are my dad!" They shared a tender hug. Then Bowser recovered and said, " ** _I'M GONNA DISINTEGRATE YOU, YOU LITTLE #@$*!!!!!_** " But Mario was ready. "No, you're not! We can easily take you!" Charizard charged up a Flamethrower. Then Bowser ran away, and Charizard let his Flamethrower fizzle out. Charizard then yelled, "LET'S GET HIM, DAD!!!" Mario then hopped on his back (he didn't have the saddle mount) and they chased Bowser to his Clown Copter. Although he had enough time to start it up and get it moving, Mario and Charizard were not about to let him escape. They chased him into the sky.

 _It doesn't look like Neil's defense is working. The jury thinks he's on drugs, he doesn't feed Bayleef, but rather that he eats her food; and his lawyer wants to quit. On the brighter side, Mario has rescued Charizard and is ready to pay back Bowser for what he did. But how will Princess Peach fare in Bowser's suitcase? Will Neil ever see Bayleef again? What will happen to our heroes? Stick around for the exciting final chapter of Part 1!_

 _Please review. Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you? Also, have you ever discovered that a prominent figure was really a sleaze?_


	20. Charizard is a Hero!

All right! This is it! The end of Part 1! Let's check up on the famous plumber and his Pokéson!

A high-speed chase was happening in the sky! Bowser was pushing his Clown Copter as hard as he could, but Charizard was keeping right up with him! Bowser grunted in frustration and fired some Bullet Bills. Charizard simply fired Flamethrowers to explode them. Then he fired some more at the Clown Copter, scoring four direct hits. Peach bellowed, " ** _WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOING ON!??!!!?_** " Bowser said, "I happen to know that flying types are weak to electric attacks!" So Bowser fired a miniature lightning bolt at Charizard, scoring a direct hit. "AAAAAAHHHHH!!!" screamed Mario and Charizard as they went into a tailspin. But they were not about to give up. Charizard, having kept Bowser in sight, flew back up into the sky. Bowser fired another miniature lightning bolt, but this time, he missed. Charizard dodged bolt after bolt after Bullet Bill after Bullet Bill after cannonball after cannonball. Then he fired his Flamethrowers, Fire Spins, and Dragon Rages, all of which Bowser dodged. Charizard noticed, _"Bowser only dodges one way: to the right. I have an idea. I'll Flamethrower, then I'll immediately Fire Blast to the right, and when he dodges the Flamethrower, he'll get hit with the Fire Blast._ So he did. The results couldn't have been any better. The Clown Copter exploded, sending Bowser and the suitcase flying. Both Bowser and Peach screamed as they flew through the air. Mario yelled, "Grab the suitcase!" The suitcase fell toward the earth, but Charizard chased after it, catching it just in the nick of time. Charizard then opened the suitcase, and out popped Princess Peach! "My hero!" she said, and she kissed him. Charizard stepped back, surprised. Peach was equally surprised. "Hey, you're not Mario!" Mario then said, "This is my son, Charizard." Peach then said, "You've raised him well, Mario. He could be the next big hero. But I can't stay around; I have some business to attend to." She then took off and caught up to an escaping Bowser, dragged him all the way back to the suitcase, _and stuffed him in it!_ He bellowed, **_"HEY!!!!!! LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS SOMEDAY!!!!!! YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO BEAR ANY CHILDREN WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!!!!!!"_** Peach just snickered. "Who's gonna rescue you?" Then she whirled around like she was doing an Olympic hammer throw and threw the suitcase a very long way! Bowser screamed as he flew through the air. His suitcase landed in a trailer carrying Rambi the Rhino. Rambi then cried out and farted. Bowser then bellowed, " ** _NOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!?!?? WHAT'S THAT SMELL??!?!_** " Rambi had a bad case of diarrhea, so Donkey Kong and Diddy had taken him to the vet and gotten some medicine, but Rambi hadn't taken it yet.

Just then, Donkey Kong's Tropius and Ella's Treecko caught up to Mario and Charizard. "Charizard, Mario, Neil needs your help!" Mario and Charizard were stunned and asked, "What happened?" Tropius answered, "Some Pokémon rights activists framed him for torturing his Bayleef! They're in court right now! Treecko and I have hard proof that the activists are the ones hurting her!" Mario asked, "How do you know?" Tropius handed him a video camera that showed clips of the activists deceiving Bayleef, beating her senseless, their whole evil agenda. And Treecko handed him a video camera that showed clips of the activists planting the fake evidence (illegal drugs). Mario then said, "Thank you both! Now I've got to get to court!" And Tropius led the way to the court house.

It was Bayleef's turn to testify in court. The bailiff asked her, "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" In a hypnotic voice, she answered, "Yes." Then the activists asked her, "How would you describe life with Neil?" The female activist then said, "I can't bear to hear this. She is so traumatized," and she fake-cried. Bayleef glanced at the jury, but then she saw Neil. The moment her eyes saw him (he had his head down and he looked scared), the hypnosis completely broke. She then glared at the activists and yelled, "How dare you? HOW DARE YOU???! Neil is the kindest, most wonderful person I know!! He feeds me a lot! He gave me my own room! He pets me! We have wonderful times together! He comforts me when I'm sad! I can't believe you are trying to take him away from me! You're the ones who are abusing me, like that awful orphanage!" The activists thought, _"Oh, no! She completely defied us! Oh well, on to the backup plan."_ That female activist began to howl. "OOHHHHHHH!!!! SHE'S BEEN BRAINWASHED!!!! HOW COULD ANYONE DO SOMETHING SO EVIL!?!??" Bayleef answered, "Yes, I was brainwashed, BY YOUR JYNX!!! You were afraid I would tell you off, so you got her to brainwash me so I'd testify against the best daddy a Pokémon could have!" Neil was so proud of his Pokédaughter, he smiled. But the youngest activist then interrupted. "You heard everything from us and her. This poor Pokémon's brainwashed words tell everyone that _Neil O'Neil is guilty, GUILTY, **GUILTY!!!!!!!**_ " And the jury agreed. Judge Fairchild pounded his gavel and shouted, "Order in the court!!" then he calmed down and asked, "Mr. O'Neil, do you have any more to say?" Just then, Mario, Charizard, Tropius, and Treecko entered the courtroom. The guards would have repulsed them, but Mario had so much charisma that they allowed them to pass. And Neil happily answered, "Yes, your honor! I would like to call Charizard to the stand, sir!" The bailiff asked, "Charizard, do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" He answered, "Yes, but first..." he walked over to the Pokémon rights activists and yanked off their masks. Yes, they were wearing masks to hide their true identities. Judge Fairchild gasped in shock, as did the jury. Then Charizard proclaimed, "These 'Pokémon rights activists' are _really_ elders from the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon, and I have the pictures to prove it!" Then he showed pictures of those same elders giving severe beatings to small Pokémon orphans! But the jury actually seemed to enjoy seeing those innocent Pokémon suffer! But then Charizard said, "Tropius has videos that proves these elders are the ones who abused Bayleef, not Neil! Show them, Tropius!" Then he showed their masks to the jury while Tropius played the videos. Sure enough, at the beginning of the videos, Bayleef was rotund and healthy, without a bruise. Then they showed the elders in their activist disguises deceiving Bayleef.Then they clearly showed them using pieces of Neil's fence to beat Bayleef unconscious! Tropius and Charizard were so disturbed, they began to cry. But the jury looked evil and sadistic, enjoying the grisly footage. Neil thought, "What's wrong with these people?" Finally, the video showed the elders' true plan: to send Bayleef back to the orphanage! Then Treecko said, "Neil is also drug free!" Then, after the other videos were finished, Treecko's video showed those elders planting illegal drugs in Neil's bedroom; there were none in the beginning of the video. Then Judge Fairchild said, "I have seen enough. Due to this new evidence, I hereby acquit Neil O'Neil of all accusations pressed against him, and I award him custody of Bayleef!" On hearing those words, the jury, who had been all set to put Neil away, began to riot! Judge Fairchild pounded his gavel and shouted, "ORDER IN THE COURT!!!" but this time, no one heeded him! He pounded his gavel repeatedly and shouted, "ORDER IN THE COURT!!!!" But the riot only intensified! Under the leadership of the elders, the jurors began to attack Judge Fairchild. He had to call the SWAT team to restore order! They came equipped with guns and tasers. Some of the SWATs helped Neil, Bayleef, Mario, Charizard, Tropius, Treecko, and Judge Fairchild escape, while the rest subdued the riot and carted everyone else off to jail.

Outside, Neil, Bayleef, Mario, Charizard, Tropius, and Treecko shared a group hug. Bayleef tearfully said, "Thank you, everyone! *sniff* Neil, for being a wonderful daddy! Boo hoo hoo! Charizard, for being my best friend throughout all this, and for being my hero, along with you, Tropius and Treecko! *sob* If it hadn't been for you, (here she really turned on the waterworks) I WOULD HAVE GONE BACK TO THE ORPHANAGE!!!!" She broke down and wailed. Even Charizard and Treecko had tears in their eyes, remembering how abusive the elders were (but Tropius didn't; he'd never lived at that orphanage). Then Bayleef, Charizard, and Treecko explained why they were crying. Tropius was stunned; he had never even heard of such abuse in his nine years of life (Bayleef and Charizard were seven, and Treecko was five). Then they told of their happy adoptions and lives since. Tropius was angry with the insane, consequence-free bullying they received, and suggested that they talk to their owners about moving to a new town. Bayleef and Treecko let him know that they were moving to Palm Town as soon as possible. Tropius then said, "That's great! It's been nice talking to you, but I have to get home now. The Kongs are worried about me." And just as he took off, Ella ran up and said, "Treecko! I was worried sick about you! How many times have I told you..." But Mario interrupted her. "Neil and Bayleef were in trouble, and Treecko saved them. Neil would have gone to prison on abuse and drug charges, and Bayleef would have gone back to that awful orphanage, if it hadn't been for Treecko." Ella was surprised. Treecko was a hero, alongside Tropius and Charizard. She picked him up and carried him home, heaping praise and commendation on him. Then Judge Fairchild approached the group and said, "Your enemies will not bother you anymore. They are all going to prison for contempt of court, rioting, disturbing the peace, kidnapping, Pokémon cruelty, and defamation of character." All four of them (Neil, Bayleef, Mario, and Charizard) cheered! Their enemies got what they deserved. Then Princess Peach showed up and invited all four of them to her castle for a big party! It was a testimonial dinner for Mario and his Charizard. It was much more extravagant than the birthday party where Bayleef and Charizard were bullied. And Charizard behaved very well there; unlike Bowser, he wanted to keep his new hero reputation intact. His familial bond with Mario strengthened, as did his friendship with Bayleef and Neil, who felt safe now (but that didn't stop them from sitting side-by-side at their table; they never wanted to let go of each other again).

Bowser was humiliated. Rambi thought the suitcase was a new toy or something. He was playing with it when Tropius arrived at the Kongs' house. He asked them, "Why is that rhino making funny noises?" Diddy answered, "Rambi, he has a bad case of diarrhea. I'm gonna give him his medicine now." But just as Diddy arrived, Bowser got the suitcase open, and Rambi had another diarrhea attack, leaving Bowser covered in poop! He think of only one thing to say: " ** _OH MY GOSH!!!!!_** "

 _And so, we have a happy ending to Part 1. Charizard is a big hero. He rescued Princess Peach_ _, and along with Tropius and Treecko, gave Judge Fairchild the evidence to acquit Neil and save Bayleef from the orphanage_. _And Bowser got his comeuppance. His hero reputation is completely destroyed, having ended in disgusting disgrace._

 _Please review. What did you think of the story?_


	21. Moving to Palm Town!

This is Part 2 of Bayleef and Charizard's Problematic Adventure.

May 3...

Neil and Bayleef had closed on their house sales and filled out their change of address forms. Kid was selling them his beach house in Palm Town, and Joe was buying the house in Marion Town (yes, Neil was able to have the house repaired, despite vicious opposition from most of the Marion townspeople). Also, Joe and Kid would help Neil and his Bayleef move; everyone else had refused to service him (Marion Town was _very_ angry that Neil had won custody of Bayleef). They got everything packed, and they bade farewell to Marion Town. The townspeople raged, **_"GET OUT OF OUR TOWN, AND STAY AWAY!!!!! DON'T EVER SHOW YOUR FACE HERE AGAIN!!!!! GET AWAY FROM US!!!!!! GET AWAY!!!!!! GET AWAY!!!!!!!"_** And they even threw rocks at them _as they were leaving!!_ Neil asked, "What's wrong with these people?" Bayleef replied with a smile, "I don't care. We don't live here anymore." Then Neil said, "This is kind of a sentimental moment for me. My whole life I've lived in Marion Town. My childhood, my college days, I have a lot of fond memories off this place." Bayleef angrily retorted, "Fond memories? What are you talking about? _Everybody hated you!_ Those bullies, that baseball coach, _that awful orphanage_ " Neil realized Bayleef was right. "You're right. _Let's blow this joint!_ " And they sped away from Marion Town.

As Neil drove to his new house, Bayleef enjoyed watching the scenery pass by. It reminded her of the time Neil brought her home from the orphanage. But this drive was _much_ longer than the drive from the orphanage; they were traveling a long way across the Kinoko Region from the temperate Marion Town to the tropical Palm Town. Sure enough, even someone as cheerful as Bayleef got restless. So Neil stopped at a playground so she could move around a bit. Five minutes later, they resumed their journey to Palm Town. At noon, Bayleef got hungry. "And just in time, too!" said Neil. Then they had lunch at a Cracker Barrel. After lunch, they drove four hours before running out of gas. They found a gas station, refilled their car, and went to the bathroom. Then they resumed the drive to their new home. Eventually, they saw palm trees, so they knew they were close. They drove into a soft rain shower, and Neil remembered that soft, light rain showers were almost daily occurrences, except in the middle of the winter, which got _hardly any rain at all_. Bayleef loved watching the rain patter against the windshield and the wipers wiping it away. However, the rain lasted only five minutes. She then asked, "Does it rain like that a lot?" He answered, "In the spring and the fall, it does; but in the summer, it rains a _lot_ more." She asked, "Can I play in it?" Neil laughed, "Well, not now. We're driving. But you may get to play in the rain at our new home, as long as it isn't lightning. When you see lightning, go indoors." Bayleef responded, "Oh, okay."

At sunset, Neil and Bayleef finally made it to their new house. They began to unpack when they heard a familiar voice. "Neil! Bayleef!" It was Ella! "I didn't know you were gonna move to Palm Town, too!" Neil replied, "Well, here we are!" Treecko was just as happy to see them. He gave Bayleef a big hug, and she hugged him back. He said, "I'm so glad to see you, Bayleef!" She replied, "Who would have thought that we'd be next-door neighbors one day?" And they both shared a big laugh! Just then, the moving trucks arrived, and Joe and Kid began unloading the trucks. Neil said, "Sorry, I gotta go. The movers are here." So Neil and Bayleef went to their new house and helped Joe and Kid arrange the house. Kid was surprised at Neil's layout; it was completely different from how he'd figured. Nevertheless, out of respect for Neil, he went along with it. Bayleef _loved_ her new room! It had a bathroom adjacent to it. She then felt that familiar urge. She went into that bathroom and noticed that the toilet was smaller than the ones she was used to, so she tried to sit on it. To her delight, she discovered that she fit perfectly on it, as if it were designed specially for her! It was; Kid knew that Neil wouldn't want her using the bucket forever, so before Kid sold the house, he had Mario build a special toilet to fit her. After she used it, she excitedly called, "Daddy!" Then she showed Neil her new bathroom, and her new toilet, which she had just used. After he taught her how to wipe herself and flush, he thanked Kid for having the small toilet installed. After Kid explained everything, he and Neil met Joe in the foyer, where he took them outside in the back yard. The first thing to catch Neil and Bayleef's eyes was the gigantic swimming pool! They both said, "Whoa. That's a big pool." And Neil said, "Bayleef, you may swim in the big pool only if you ask me first. You will be in big trouble if you swim without asking first. Understand?" "Yes, Daddy." Then they toured the big backyard; it had direct access to the beach! "You can only go to the beach with my permission, understand?" "Yes, Daddy." Then they went back indoors, and Neil paid his fees for their services and bade them farewell.

Then Neil and Bayleef went outside to meet their new neighbors. They found that Sherry, a fellow competitor on the golf tour, lived on the other side of Ella. Next door to Neil (the other side from Ella) was another house that had just sold. Across from that lived Grace, another fellow golfer. Bayleef was excited to see that Grace also had a Pokémon, a female Croconaw. "Hey, Croconaw!" she called. Croconaw ran up to Grace and asked, "Who are those, Mom?" Then Gene appeared, and said, "Oh, hello, Neil and Bayleef. The Gene extends his congratulations to you two for winning your case against Marion Town. The Gene is also sorry you missed his wedding with Grace." Neil said, "What? You and Grace are married?" Gene replied, "Yes, and the Gene forgot to invite you. Sorry." Then, turning to Croconaw, he said, "Croconaw, greet Neil and Bayleef." "Okay, Dad. I greet you, Neil and Bayleef." Bayleef said, "Hee hee, we greet you, too!" Then, Gene and Grace then welcomed Neil and Bayleef inside. While Gene, Grace, and Neil talked about their lives (Gene and Grace's wedding and Neil's court case), Bayleef decided to befriend Croconaw. They went to her room and saw lots of toys and games. Bayleef thought, _"That's more toys than I have. Still, I can't complain. Neil has been too nice to me."_ They spent a long time playing with Croconaw's toys, talking about life, sharing secrets with each other, etc. Eventually, Neil realized how late it had gotten, and he took Bayleef home. "Bye, Croconaw! It was great meeting you! See you later!" Neil was proud of Bayleef. "I see you're already making friends." "Could I sleep over at her house sometime?" "Maybe. Why don't you ask her to sleep over at your house?" "I could." "Well, now let's go to bed. We've had a long day." After they took a bath, they immediately went to bed. As he tucked her in, Neil heard a soft rain shower against the roof. Bayleef was quickly lulled to sleep, so Neil didn't have to read a bedtime story. Neil decided to kiss her goodnight. As he did, she kissed him back. Then he went to bed himself, happy in his new home.

 _Wow! It looks like Neil and Bayleef made the right move, moving to Palm Town! They have a nice house with a pool and beach access! Turns out, Ella and Treecko had also moved to Palm Town, and they live next door to the_ _m. And Sherry, Grace, and Gene are all thrilled to have Neil and Bayleef as new neighbors_ _. And Bayleef has already made a new friend, named Croconaw!_

 _Please review. What do you expect from Neil and Bayleef in Palm Town?_ _What ideas do you have? Please post them in the reviews._


	22. New Friends, and Old!

The next day,

Neil and Bayleef were eating their first breakfast in their new house when it began to rain. It was just a soft, light shower, but it was enough to excite Bayleef. "Daddy! It's raining!" she shouted with her mouth full. "Hey, don't talk with your mouth full," scolded Neil. She said, "Whoops, sorry," and then she swallowed her food. "Sorry, I'm just excited over the rain!" Neil replied, "I know you are, but you have to eat your breakfast." Bayleef sadly replied, "Okay, Daddy." Then she ate as quickly as she could. Neil told her, "Slow down! You're gonna make yourself sick!" "I just want to get done so I can play in the rain!" "Well, it just stopped." Bayleef groaned in disappointment. Neil consoled her, "I know you're upset, but trust me, you'll have plenty of chances to play in the rain afterwards. I'll spray you with the hose if it will make you feel better." Bayleef laughed, "Oh, Daddy!" Then they finished breakfast, and Neil got dressed.

Then Neil drove Bayleef to the Palm Town Pokémon Park. Bayleef's face lit up when she saw several Pokémon at the playground. "Daddy, could I go to the playground?" Neil said, "Sure!" and he walked her there. Bayleef suddenly remembered all the times she had been bullied and excluded in Marion Town, and she hesitated to join the other Pokémon as they played on the playground equipment (she was afraid these Pokémon would also reject her). But then, she heard Croconaw call, "Hey, Bayleef!" "Croconaw!" Bayleef shouted happily as she met her. They shared a hug and said to each other, "It's _so_ great to see you! What are you doing here?" After some overlapping chatter, Bayleef suggested, "Hey, there are two swings open! Let's go!" And so they did. The two swings open were on either side of a female Quilava. Bayleef and Croconaw got on those swings and began swinging. Bayleef said, "Hi, Quilava!" In a thick Southern accent, Quilava answered, "Well, howdy do! Yall's a Bayleef, right?" "Yes, and this is my friend, Croconaw!" Croconaw muttered, "Hello." Quilava asked, "What is y'all doin' here?" Bayleef explained that she had moved from Marion Town because the people there were so mean to her. At first, her friends didn't believe her, but then Treecko came over and confirmed the abuse. He wanted a turn on the swings; but although Quilava and Croconaw said no, Bayleef said yes. When her friends objected, Bayleef explained, "He's one of my friends from the Marion Town Orphanage. Why shouldn't he have fun with us?" Croconaw then said, "Did you say 'orphanage'? I was adopted from the Palm Town Orphanage." Treecko answered, "Wow! What was it like in the Palm Town Orphanage?" "It was great. The elders were kind and understanding, and supportive of us. They looked for good families for us and screened prospective adopters." "Oh my. Our orphanage was the complete opposite. They starved us, beat us, and told us we would never be adopted ever. Even when we were perfect, they hurt us." Croconaw couldn't understand, based on her good upbringing. She then said, "But still, it wasn't as good as actual parents. Grace and the Gene are as good as it gets. Quilava then said, "Ah ain't never been in no orphanage. Mah ma an' pa is mighty good to me. They feeds me, they gives me...ya know." Then it began to rain softly, like the rain that morning. Bayleef and Treecko just stood there, soaking it in. Croconaw began dancing around wildly. Quilava said, "Shoot, this ain't nothin'! Ah'm still dry!" although she was indeed getting wet." Bayleef suggested that they all run around in the rain, and they did. Soon, the rain stopped, but the Pokémon kept playing. Eventually, it was time to go home, but Quilava and Croconaw all got permission to go with Bayleef; their owners (parents in Quilava's case) would come get them later.

Back home, Bayleef, Quilava, and Croconaw were playing catch with Croconaw's big ball when it began to rain. This wasn't like the soft showers that morning. This was a torrential downpour. A gullywasher. A deluge. A rainstorm. A cloudburst. It quickly turned the front yard into a field of mud. Nevertheless, the girls continued playing, even Quilava. Strangely, there was _not even one_ flash of lightning! Croconaw asked, "Quilava, don't you think it's raining too hard?" Quilava said, "Shoot, Ah've been in worse squalls'n this!" Then her father, Typhlosion, showed up. "Eeyup. This ain't nothin'. One time, Ah was a Cyndaquil, an' one day, it started rainin', and it didn't quit for four months!" Bayleef and Croconaw were astonished, but Quilava had heard that story before. Her father continued, "Ah done been through ever' kind o'rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain, an' big ol' fat rain, rain that blowed in sideways, an' sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up out of the ground! Shoot, it even rained at night!" The girls laughed, but then Bayleef saw a car and some trucks pull up to the empty house between hers and Croconaw's. Bayleef then suggested, "Let's find out who it is!" Neil then said, "No, Bayleef. Don't do that without my permission." So she asked his permission, and he said, "Not without me." Croconaw then said, "Boy, your dad is strict." Neil heard that, and he told her, "Croconaw, we don't know who it is. It could be a bad per-soooo..." Neil's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His new neighbor was Mario! " _Mario!??_ " Mario was accompanied the Kremlings and his Charizard, Luigi and his Pikachu, Wario and his Nidoking, and Waluigi and his Weavile. Bayleef screamed in excitement, " ** _CHARIZARD!!!!!_** " and she ran to greet him. Charizard braved the lashing downpour and ran toward her. " ** _BAYLEEF!!!!!_** " They shared a _really_ big hug, and they laughed and cried. She asked, "You're _really_ moving next door to me?" "I sure am. Mario got a call from the mayor of Palm Town saying that this would be a busy time for his town." Pikachu said, "And Luigi too. Hey, who's that with you?" Bayleef answered, "These are my new friends Quilava and Croconaw. Friends, this is my best friend, Charizard." Then Grace came up and said, "Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, I see you've arrived in one of our storms." Mario answered, "Oh, I've-a been in worse. There was-a that one time there was lightning every two seconds. There's-a none right now." Grace responded, "Palm Town doesn't get much lightning. I know, it's weird, given the amount of rain that falls each year." Gene then said, "It has to do with atmospheric conditions. There is some kind of cap on the atmosphere that, for the most part, keeps the clouds from electrifying. Of course, there are exceptions. Last year, there were many thunderstorms, and even one tornado, but that was a freak year. They're saying it might never happen again." Then Typhlosion came up and said, "We really gotta get goin', folks. Bye." As Quilava left with her father, Croconaw, Bayleef, and Charizard all bade her farewell. Then Croconaw and Charizard got to know each other. She learned that he had also grown up in the abusive Marion Town Orphanage, and Bayleef had been his best friend ever since they were only Charmeleon and Chikorita. He learned that the Palm Town Orphanage was the complete opposite of the Marion Town Orphanage, but that Grace and Gene, her adoptive parents, were better than life at the orphanage. Then they and Bayleef talked about Quilava's Southern drawl. Croconaw shared several of Quilava's expressions, such as "drier'n dust on a camel," "wetter'n a goldfish takin' a bath," "hair past a freckle, Eastern Elbow Time," "taters," "maters," "skeeters," (potatoes, tomatoes, mosquitoes) etc. Everyone laughed as Croconaw shared those terms. But soon, Bayleef stopped laughing. "Hey, we shouldn't be making fun of her! What if she hears us laughing?" Croconaw then said, "I know I've laughed at her dialect before, but I'm used to it." "Do you always laugh at her?" "No, it's just the way many Southern people talk. I've gotten used to it. I thought you'd think it was funny." "I did at first, but then I thought, 'How would she feel if we laughed at her?'" "Funny thing is, she's resistant to teasing like that. 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,' she always says." Bayleef glared at Croconaw. She knew from her orphanage that that saying was completely false. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! I know that words can hurt a whole lot worse than sticks and stones!" Then she talked about the bullies in Marion Town and how they'd teased and excluded her and Charizard. Croconaw felt so bad for her, she began to cry. While they were hugging and crying (Charizard included), the rain stopped. Charizard said, "Well, it was nice meeting you. However, I really must get going." "Okay. Bye." And Croconaw went home with Grace and Gene. Bayleef went home with Neil, happy to have made _yet another friend_. What would the future hold for them?

 _Wow! Not only has Bayleef made a new friend in Quilava, but also her best friend, Charizard, has moved next door (along with Pikachu)!_ _How will her new friends get along with her old friends?_

 _Please review._ _Have you ever experienced a heavy rain without any lightning?_


	23. Rainy Day Fun

The next morning,

Neil and Bayleef were at the supermarket shopping for swimming pool toys. "Ooh! Ooh! Look, Daddy! Flower print swim tubes! Can we get them, please!?" Neil answered, "Sure. One for you. I want a plain one. And some others for your friends." They also bought some Funnoodles, water pistols, rubber duckies, toy boats, air mats, and swim goggles. Neil said, "Boy, we're loaded up with pool toys. We're going to have so much fun in the pool." Bayleef smiled. "I can't wait, Daddy." Then he bought some pool cleaning supplies. "We gotta keep the pool clean so we can swim in it." "Daddy, can I help?" Neil laughed, "You can help by just having a good time swimming." Bayleef was a little disappointed, but she accepted Neil's decision.

When they finished shopping, imagine their surprise (and Bayleef's delight) when they exited the store into a heavy downpour! Neil said, "Oh, man. If it rains like this a lot, we won't be able to go swimming much." But then Sherry said, "Ah, don't worry. It rains like this a lot, and I go swimming year-round. Thunderstorms are very rare here. Of course, last year was an exception. But, usually, the summer rain season gives extreme rainfall without _even one flash of lightning!_ Winter is usually very dry. Spring and autumn usually give moderate rainfall, and that's when the occasional thunderstorm comes. I have a lightning detector at my house, just in case one of those thunderstorms comes when I'm outside." Neil then remembered that his house had a sophisticated lightning detection system. "Don't worry, Bayleef. The lightning detectors will go off if they sense lightning, so we can go swimming more often." Bayleef cheered. The rain just kept pounding the area, and Neil knew it wasn't safe to drive home in rain that hard and heavy, so he had to wait until it slacked off, which was thirty minutes later. As they drove home, Bayleef squealed with delight. "DADDY, LOOK!!! A RAINBOW!!!" Yes, it was beautiful, especially against the dark rain clouds. Neil asked, "How did you know what a rainbow is?" He figured that the elders at the Marion Town Orphanage never told her. "Charizard told me when he was just a Charmeleon," she replied.

When Neil and Bayleef got home, they wasted no time getting into the pool with their new toys. They brought the swim tubes and an air mat with them, and Bayleef just jumped right in! SPLASH!!! Neil ran back to check the lightning detector and turn it on. After checking the weather report, Neil joined his pal Bayleef in the pool. They were having an absolute blast when it began to rain again. This rain was lighter than the downpour at the store, but it was still heavy by meteorological standards (one inch was falling every three hours). However, there was still no lightning anywhere in the vicinity, so Neil and Bayleef just kept on swimming and playing as if the sun were shining. Bayleef was giggling. She _loved_ feeling the rain pattering on her while she was swimming. This rain was different from the downpour at the store; it was not as heavy, but it was not letting up as quickly as expected. Bayleef didn't want it to. She said, "I wish _every_ day were like this!" Neil warned her, "Be careful what you wish for. Too much rain causes floods, and I'm sure you want to see the sun again sometime." Bayleef nodded. "Yes. I also love the sun." Then she got out of the pool. Neil asked, "Where are you going?" She then replied, "To the bathroom." Neil then realized he hadn't gone all day either. After they went, Bayleef said, "I'm hungry." Then Neil boiled spaghetti for lunch, and Bayleef ate a **_gigantic_** amount of it. "Now we have to wait an hour before swimming again so or food can digest properly." Bayleef asked, "Could I at least rest in the rain?" "All right." So, a rain-soaked hour after finishing lunch, Neil and Bayleef resumed their rainy-day fun in the pool. No lightning flashed at all, despite the very dark rain clouds in the sky (in fact, more than once, Neil got out to check for lightning; at times, the sky looked _black_ ), so Neil and Bayleef could still swim safely. They spent more or less _the whole day_ in the pool, gettting out only to chamge toys, go to the bathroom, and for dinner (macaroni and cheese, and they waited another hour after dinner).

Near sunset, the sun peeked through the clouds, but it was still raining. Of course, Neil and Bayleef saw the rainbow. Neil ran inside to get his camera (Bayleef had to get out of the pool for that), and then he took a picture of Bayleef in the pool, with the rain clouds and rainbow behind her, and rain _still_ pattering on her. Then the sun set, and Neil had to go in and turn the pool lights on. It was fun swimming under the lights, and it was _still_ raining (although it was beginning to slack off; now the rainfall rate was one inch every seven hours). They ended up playing in the pool until 10 p.m., then the rain finally stopped, but their towels were soaking wet. So they had to just wait until they air-dried to go back into the house and take their baths.

After their baths, Neil and Bayleef watched T.V. There was an important news bulletin concerning the summer rain season. "The air masses have shifted this year. The summer rain season has extended to between May and October. Annual rainfall totals are expected to exceed 400 inches for the next 15 years, with the vast majority falling in summer. It is expected to rain every day during the summer rain season. We will also be seeing a significant increase in all-day heavy rain events. However, the summer cap inversion over the West Tropic District that prevents most thunderstorm development has solidified, and is expected to stay in place for years even during the winter, so don't be surprised if lightning doesn't flash for another ten years or so." Neil and Bayleef were happy to hear that. That meant there would be many more opportunities to swim in the rain (even in torrential downpours!), or to do whatever they wanted!

Before bedtime, Neil got a call. He answered, "Hello, O'Neil residence. _Mario!?_ _How did you know my phone number?!"_ "I looked it up." "Har har har." "Guess what Charizard and I did today." "What?" "We played light-up mini golf at the new mall. We played twenty rounds and eventually got our rounds in the 30s. What'd you do today?" "Bayleef and I went swimming in the rain. It rained all day, and we hardly ever got out of the pool. You should have seen her splashing around. She was so happy! I even took pictures of our day. I can email them to you tomorrow." "Okey dokey! I'll show you my pictures. Maybe we can go mini golfing tomorrow." "Or maybe we could go swimming." "Only if it isn't-a lightning. Charizard loves-a to swim, but-a lightning could electrocute you." "We have lightning detectors." "Good. The Kremlings also love-a the water. Mind if-a they come over tomorrow?" "Maybe we can all go to the beach tomorrow." "Anyway, I gotta go. Charizard's-a waiting for me to put him to bed." Neil then noticed that Bayleef was fast asleep on the couch. "Well, Bayleef isn't. She's sleeping on the couch." "Okey dokey. Good night." "G'night, Mario." Then Neil left Bayleef on the couch and went to bed, feeling very good about life in Palm Town.

 _It looks like Neil and Bayleef have had a blast swimming in the rain. And Mario and Charizard also had a good indoor day playing mini golf. What can we expect from the summer rain season in Palm Town?_

 _Please review. Does it rain very much where you live?_


	24. Mini Golf and the Beach

The next day,

Neil and Bayleef had finished breakfast when Quilava and Croconaw showed up at the front door with their parents. When Bayleef answered the door, they greeted her, "Hi Bayleef! Want to come to the mall with us?" The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky (which was rare for this time of year). She responded, "How about when it starts to cloud up?" They said, "Oh, okay. You want to sunbathe?" "Yes." So they all stayed at Neil's house and sunbathed until lunch. Then they ate lunch, and yes, their parents were fine with Bayleef sharing her food. By then, the sky had clouded up, and it looked like it might rain. After lunch, everyone went to the mall.

At the mall, Bayleef, Quilava, and Croconaw noticed the video arcade first. They asked if they could play the games, and their parents accompanied them to the arcade. Then they saw all sports of classic games such as Space Invaders, Pac Man, Galaga, and other such games. They spent an hour in the arcade. Bayleef played Pac Man; it wasn't as violent as the other games. Quilava played Space Invaders, and Croconaw played Galaga. They all did quite well, despite none of them making it onto the leaderboards. After an hour, they went toy shopping. "Ooh, ooh, more Land Before Time toys!" squealed Bayleef. She had been wanting Ducky and Spike figurines to complete her set. "Could I have some, please?" Neil said, "Sure, you can pay me back with your allowance." "Yay!" Quilava saw some Wild West toys, and her parents got them for her. Croconaw looked in the puzzle section, and Gene was showing her interesting puzzle games. Croconaw then saw a 4-by-4 Rubik's cube. Gene dissuaded her from getting one, suggesting that she start with 2-by-2, and then go on to the standard 3-by-3. Croconaw reluctantly agreed. While they were shopping, Neil ran into Ella. She was letting Treecko look at the toys. "Oh, Neil!" she shrieked in surprise. "I didn't expect you here!" "Oh yeah. Bayleef wanted to go to the mall today. They have a cool light-up mini golf course that her best friend played yesterday, and she wants to play it today." "Sounds like fun! Treecko, go with Neil and the group and play some mini golf while I finish up here." "His birthday coming up?" Ella whispered, "This is for his evolution party. He's just about to evolve into Grovyle. I can feel it. Call it a maternal instinct." Neil whispered, "Gonna surprise him?" Ella nodded. Treecko waited as his friends' parents bought their toys (Neil sneaked a Tenzin dice game into his basket and paid for it), and then Treecko left the toy store with them. Ella said, "Bye, Treecko! Have fun! Behave yourself!" Treecko said, "Okay, Mom!" Then Ella shopped for toys she knew Treecko would _love._

At the indoor mini golf course, they split into three threesomes: Neil, Bayleef, and Treecko; Quilava and her parents (both were Typhlosions); and Grace, Gene, and Croconaw. They paid their fees, got their balls and putters, and headed to the first hole. It was a straight shot up a hill to a rainbow-colored circular plateau. Bayleef took three putts to make it to the top, but she sank her fourth putt. Neil took two putts (one to get on the plateau, and one to sink). Treecko got a hole-in-one! The Typhlosions and Quilava each took three, Grace and Gene took two, and Croconaw took five, the stroke limit for each hole. Then, on hole two, a horseshoe-shaped hole, everyone got two, except Croconaw, who got three. Hole three was a straight hole with a wall that slid from side to side every two seconds. Neil and Treecko timed it properly and scored twos. Bayleef got suckered and ended up with a five. Quilava and her parents got suckered, but managed threes. Croconaw got suckered and got a four. Grace timed it right, but ended up with a three. Gene got a hole-in-one! Hole four was a straight hole with the cup between two little walls. Neil and Treecko both got holes-in-one! Bayleef took three, Quilava, her parents, and Grace took two, Croconaw took four, and Gene took three, much to his disgust. Hole five led to a jumble of little walls, with the cup in the middle. Neil, having been buffeted by them, took three. Bayleef took five, but Treecko got a hole-in-one! Quilava and her parents each took four. Croconaw and Grace took five, and Gene took two. Hole six was called the "divided highway hole." There was a fork in the beginning, and it converged near the hole. Neil took two, Bayleef took four, and Treecko got another hole-in-one! "Wow, Treecko! You're _good!"_ said Neil and Bayleef. Quilava took three, her mother took two, and her father took four. Croconaw took five, but Grace and Gene took two. Hole seven was a jump hole onto an island green. Neil got a hole-in-one, Bayleef took four, and Treecko took two. Quilava and her parents took two. Croconaw took five, Grace got a hole-in-one, and Gene took two. Hole eight had two ramps along the walls that led to the hole. In between the ramps, it was like a big stair step, with the cup on the top step. Neil got a hole-in-one, Bayleef took five, and Treecko took two. Quilava and her parents all took five. Croconaw took four, and Grace and Gene took two. Hole nine was the infamous "Rainbow Waterfall" Hole. Bayleef suddenly realized that she hadn't been to the bathroom all day! The sound of the waterfall exacerbated her already-intense urge to go. And to top it off, although they couldn't hear it, it started to rain! She took five on that hole, Neil took three, and Treecko took two. Quilava's family all took five, being fire types. Croconaw and Grace took three, and Gene took two. Neil then sensed that Bayleef was unhappy, so he asked her what was wrong. With tears in her eyes, she said, "I have to go potty!" Neil then asked, "Does anyone else need to go potty?" Only Bayleef did, so Neil told Treecko to stay there while Bayleef went. Bayleef was nervous about going into a mall bathroom, so she walked slowly. Neil led her there, and when she went in, she was confused. Where were the toilets? She walked back out and asked him, and he told her they were in the stalls (those things with doors that weren't cabinets). She figured it out, and got on one of the toilets, forgetting to lock the door. Fortunately, someone said, "Lock that door, young lady." Bayleef responded, "Whoops!" and locked it, and then she got back on the toilet and relieved herself. Then she ran back to Neil, very pleased with herself. He asked her, "You feel better?" The combination of relief and pride that she had used a public bathroom caused her to actually laugh. "Hee hee hee! Much better! I actually used a big toilet! Ha ha ha!" Then they went back to the mini golf course.

The tenth hole was a straight shot with a hump in the middle. Neil and Treecko both aced the hole, and Bayleef took three. Quilava and her parents each took two. Croconaw took four, Grace took two, and Gene got a hole-in-one. The eleventh hole was a soft curve around a crocodile statue. Neil and Treecko took two, and Bayleef took three. Quilava and her mother took two, but her father took three. Croconaw took four, and Grace and Gene took two. Hole twelve was two strips connected at the corner by a diagonal quarter-pipe. Neil and Bayleef took two, and Treecko got a hole-in-one! Quilava took three, her mother took four, and her father took two. Croconaw took five, Gene took two, and Grace got a hole-in-one! Hole thirteen was a narrow bridge over a "creek bed." Neil and Treecko got holes-in-one, but Bayleef fell in the "creek" and took five. Quilava got across, but took three. Her parents got across and took two. Croconaw fell in and took five, Grace took two, and Gene got a hole-in-one. Hole fourteen was "The Forest Hole." _Everyone_ took five on this one; the trees kept deflecting the putts! Hole fifteen was a tunnel hole through a hill. Neil, Bayleef, and Treecko all found the tunnel and got holes-in-one! Quilava and her parents took the hill way and took two. Croconaw found the tunnel, but took three. Grace and Gene found the tunnel and took two. Hole sixteen was "The Rainbow River Hole." There were signs prohibiting getting into the water. Players had to go back to the start to get new balls. Bayleef putted into the water twice, putting her at the stroke limit, so she took five. Neil took two, and Treecko got a hole-in-one! Quilava and her parents hated the water, and they all took five. Croconaw kept her mind on the water, and she took five. Grace and Gene kept their minds on the hole, and they took two. Hole seventeen had a spinning turntable in the middle of the hole. Neil and Treecko had to settle for threes, and so did Bayleef (she was happy with it). Quilava and her parents took five. Croconaw got lucky; _she got a hole-in-one!_ Grace and Gene both settled for twos. Hole eighteen was a tiki statue with its mouth open. Players were supposed to putt into it. Neil and Bayleef took three, but Treecko got a hole-in-one! Quilava took four, her mother took two, and her father took three. Croconaw took five (she just placed the ball in the statue's mouth), Grace took two, and Gene took four. Then they totaled all their scores. Neil had 37, Bayleef had 67, Treecko had 30, Quilava had 60, her mother had 57, her father had 59, Croconaw had 75, Grace had 41, and Gene had 39, so Treecko was the winner! Neil then joked, "Treecko, maybe you should pursue a career in miniature golf!" Everyone laughed, except Gene and Treecko. Gene was still humiliated by his defeat at the hands of a Pokémon, and Treecko thought seriously about pursuing a mini golf career. They all said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Just then, Neil met up with Ella. "I got Treecko his presents! Hey, Treecko!" Treecko said excitedly, "Mommy!" "Hey! How was mini golf, sweetheart?" "It was great! We played at the light-up course, _and I won!_ " Neil said, "Yeah, I need to work on my putting." Neil and Ella laughed. And then they talked about what they'd done yesterday. Ella enjoyed hearing about Neil and Bayleef's rainy-day swim. "Wow, we just stayed inside and watched TV." "Well, as long as it doesn't get too cold or start lightning, it's all right to be in the rain. Grass types love playing in the rain!" "I guess I could try that. I'll have to see if he likes it." Then they went their separate ways. The outdoors greeted them with a clear, sunny sky! Bayleef sighed happily as they went to the car (she liked sunny weather as well as rainy weather; when the sun shone _while_ it rained, that was her favorite combination).

After they got home, Neil was surprised to see Mario, Charizard, and the Kremlings waiting for him. Neil asked, "Mario? What are you doing here?" Mario then said, "You forgot about our day on the beach." Neil replied, "Yikes!" So he ran inside, smeared sunscreen all over himself and Bayleef, changed into his swimsuit, got some pool toys, and met Mario outside; and they all went to the beach. Once there, Bayleef and Charizard, thanks to the green flag, immediately started swimming in the ocean. A few of the Kremlings also did, but most if then played on the beach, making sand castles and such. While they were swimming, a few clouds passed overhead, but there was no rain. After two hours, an exhausted Bayleef and Charizard swam ashore and took a nap. They were awakened by the smell of a barbecue! The Kremlings were roasting hot dogs, sausages, fish, chicken, and corn on an open fire! Charizard had Bayleef in mind when he brought fruits and vegetables (carrots, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.), but the Kremlings showed tastes for them as well. Bayleef and Charizard became very hungry. They sat next to each other and ate _a lot_ ; Neil and Mario had to remind them to "save some for the rest of us." Mario was surprised to see Charizard eating so much fruits and vegetables; he thought Charizard was a carnivore. But then he remembered that he preferred the fruit-flavored Pokémon food to the meat-flavored. Then they ate a lot of roasted marshmallows for dessert. Bayleef enjoyed this campfire; it was not like the one at Marion Town where Putts' Pokémon picked on her for wanting to roast marshmallows. And Charizard was behaving well (remember, in Marion Town, he'd peed on the campfire and manipulated an Ursaring prank). Here in Palm Town, he was just enjoying Bayleef's company and the sound of the waves on the beach. They both wanted to swim again, but they felt too full to do so. They fell asleep with Bayleef in Charizard's lap. Neil and Mario noticed, and they wondered if there was something developing between their Pokémon. An hour later, they awoke, and Neil and Mario allowed them to swim in the ocean while the Kremlings packed up to go home, which was not far away at all; Mario's back yard was within walking distance, as was Neil's! Bayleef and Charizard ended up swimming until sunset! Then they swam ashore to watch the sunset, side by side. Then they bade each other goodbye and went back to their "fathers," Neil and Mario, telling them how wonderful their time was, and receiving assurance that they could do it again in the future.

 _Wow! Bayleef sure knows how to have fun! She is having a lot of fun with her new friends, even when it's not raining_. _And it looks like her friendship with Charizard is getting stronger! What will happen in their future?_ _Is something developing between them?_

 _Please review. Did I do the math right on the mini golf scores? Have you ever had a fun indoor day?_


	25. Evolution, and a Party!

The next day,

Treecko began to glow. Leaves grew on his arms and the top of his head, and his tail leaves became sharper and smaller. He also grew to four times his original size (although he was still shorter than Bayleef when they stood side-by-side). He evolved into Grovyle. He immediately ran to Ella and told her about it. She immediately hugged him and said, "Way to go, Treeck-, I mean, Grovyle!" He giggled, "Hehehe, Aw, Mom!" "Come on, let's get ready for your evolution party!" Grovyle cheered, and Ella invited her friends Neil, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Putts, Joe, Grace, Gene, and Kid to the party via her cell phone.

Neil and Bayleef were the first to arrive, followed closely by Mario and Charizard, then Kid and Venusaur, then Gene, Grace, and Croconaw; then Luigi and Pikachu, then Joe and Kricketune, then Peach and Sylveon, then Daisy and Leafeon. Putts couldn't make it; he was putting on a golf clinic. Ella and Treecko, I mean Grovyle, greeted Neil, Bayleef, Mario, and Charizard the most enthusiastically, with hugs. Croconaw ran over and hugged Grovyle tightly. "I'm so glad! Maybe we could do stuff together now!" she shouted. Grovyle grunted, "Mmph, maybe." Then Ella called the Pokémon over and said, "All right, everyone. It's time for games!" Everyone cheered, except for Charizard; he wasn't buying it. Ella seemed to sense his hesitation, so she assured him that she was telling the truth. And then he joined the others.

The first game was Musical Chairs. Venusaur was the first one eliminated, followed by Kricketune, Leafeon, Croconaw, Grovyle, Pikachu, and Sylveon. On the last turn, Bayleef ended up on Charizard's lap as they tried to take the last seat. She wasn't very disappointed, though; she was right with her best friend! She was laughing at their position. Then the Pokémon played Simon Says, with Grovyle as Simon.

 _Grovyle's the boss, Grovyle's the boss,_

 _So you gotta listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle_

 _Grovyle's the boss, Grovyle's the boss,_

 _So you gotta listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle_

 _And here's what Grovyle says!_

Grovyle sang, "Grovyle says, spin around and around." Everyone did, singing, "Listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle." Grovyle sang, "Grovyle says, now lie on your bellies." Everyone did, singing, "Listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle." "Now reach for the sky." Venusaur, Kricketune, and Pikachu did. "Uh-uh, I didn't say 'Grovyle says'!" They were out.

 _Grovyle's the boss, so listen to Grovyle, and here's what Grovyle says._

Grovyle sang, "Grovyle says, you can stand up now." Everyone did, singing, "Listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle." Grovyle sang, "Grovyle says, now blink your eyes." Everyone did, singing, "Listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle." "Now stick out your tongue." Everyone except Bayleef and Charizard did. "Uh-uh, I didn't say 'Grovyle says'!" They were out.

 _Grovyle's the boss, so listen to Grovyle, and here's what Grovyle says._

Grovyle sang, "Grovyle says, wag your tail back and forth. Yes, that's good. Grovyle says, now start running in place. Yeah, that's right. Grovyle says, roll around on the floor. Way to go. Grovyle says, now stand as tall as you can. Grovyle says, bow your heads." Bayleef and Charizard did, singing, "Listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle." "Grovyle says, now lift them up and smile." "Listen to Grovyle, listen to Grovyle." "Now stick your tail up." Bayleef did, but Charizard didn't. "Uh-uh, I didn't say 'Grovyle says'!" She was out. Charizard sang, "Grovyle's the boss, so listen to Grovyle." And Grovyle sang, "And Grovyle says, Charizard wins!" Charizard was happy to have won both games at this party!

The next game was Pin the Tail on the Donkey, or should I say Pin the Ponytail on Ella (it was a picture of Ella's head). Everyone laughed hysterically at the ponytails being pinned all over the place, but once again, Charizard won (thanks to an insane amount of luck). Everyone cheered for him. Through it all, Charizard behaved very well, much to Mario's amazement!

Then it was time for dinner, followed by cake and presents. While they were eating, Bayleef told Charizard (to her left) how impressed she was with how he played the games. He blushed and said, "Awww." To her right, Sylveon and Leafeon said, "I think he likes you," giggling as they did. Bayleef agreed, "We've been best friends since the Marion Town Orphanage." Charizard said, "They treated us like dirt. But then Mario adopted me (and Neil adopted her) and now we have loving homes. The elders tried to take Bayleef back by passing as Pokémon rights activists. But I busted them and they went to jail. And now we live here in Palm Town, safe from them." Sylveon and Leafeon were touched by the story. Neither of then had ever heard of such abuse in their whole lives. They gave Charizard and Bayleef hugs to make them feel better. Then Grovyle began opening his presents. They were toy cars, board games, a little plastic golf set, a plastic bat and ball, a Sceptile action figure, and some Legos. Neil then said, "Grovyle, I'll get you my present now. Bayleef, stay and play with the others while I get his present." "Okay, Daddy." So she played toy cars with Grovyle, Croconaw, and Charizard. The other Pokémon were playing with the other presents when Neil came in with Grovyle's surprise present: a pair of swimming trunks! Grovyle immediately put them on. He then said, "Come on, everyone! Let's go swimming!" Ella had a medium-sized pool, barely even a quarter the size of Neil's pool. But everyone ran enthusiastically ran to the pool, after getting permission from their trainers, of course. They weren't in the pool for three minutes before it started to rain...hard! Fortunately, there was no lightning, so the Pokémon kept swimming; they were already wet! The rain, which was falling at a torrential two inches per hour, was actually rather warm, unlike Marion Town rain, so they wouldn't catch colds. They quickly found that Palm Town rain was fun to play in. They got out of the pool and started splashing in puddles and rolling in the grass, getting all muddy and dirty. Ella sighed, "You're lucky this is the back yard, or you would be in big trouble." Grovyle just took off his swim trunks and let the rain wash the mud off. Then he set them at the pool's edge and resumed playing with his friends Bayleef and Charizard (these three had their own clique). Soon, the rain stopped (it had lasted only fifteen minutes), and the Pokémon got back in the pool, Grovyle remembering his swim trunks. An hour later, everyone got bored swimming, and they played with the bat and ball instead. There were only nine Pokémon, so they couldn't have a real game, or could they? Even though none of them had ever watched _The Sandlot_ , they played like the kids in that movie. Eventually, it got dark, and the party was over.

After the party, Neil and Bayleef went home, as did the other Pokémon and their trainers. Neil then noticed that his Bayleef was sad. He asked what the matter was, and she tearfully recounted the experience of her evolution and how the orphanage elders mistreated her. Neil then calmed her down and said, "Trust me, when you evolve, I will give you the greatest evolution party I can." Bayleef smiled on hearing that. She trusted Neil entirely, because she knew he loved her. She then thought about accelerating her evolution, but Neil said, "Don't rush it. It will happen when the proper time comes." Bayleef said, "Okay, Daddy."

 _It looks like things are changing. Treecko has evolved into Grovyle, and_ _has enjoyed a big evolution party._ _And Neil has assured Bayleef that she will have a big evolution party when she becomes Meganium._

 _Please review. Have you ever experienced a good friend grow up suddenly? What changes did you notice? How did_ you _change as you grew up?_ _By the way, Grovyle's Simon Says was based on_ Flashbeagle's _Lucy Says._


	26. Uncle Stone Moves In

The next morning,

Neil and Bayleef were playing in the back yard in a light rain shower. Well, Neil mostly watched while Bayleef ran around in the rain. Sometimes, she would run up to Neil and rub against him in affection. Neil thought she was trying to get him to run around in the rain with her, so he did. She was so happy that he joined her, that she started giggling. "Come on, Daddy!" They ran together for a few minutes, and then she felt a little twinge. "Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom." "Okay, let's get dried off." So Neil and Bayleef went inside, dried off (the towels were just inside the door so they wouldn't track all over the house), and then she went to the bathroom. When she was done, there was a knock at the door. Neil answered it, and it was Uncle Stone, the one whose bid for governor was derailed by Mario three weeks earlier.

Neil incredulously asked, "Uncle Stone! What are you doing here?" Uncle Stone answered, "What, an uncle can't visit his favorite nephew?" Neil glared, "Everyone knows Bruce is your favorite nephew." "Not anymore." But Uncle Stone wasn't convincing at all. "You hate me, Uncle Stone. You were working with Team Elder against me as long as I knew you!" Then the gloves came off. "Neil, I'm broke, and you're the only one I can turn to. _Everyone in Marion Town_ has rejected me, and I can't trust anyone else." Bayleef saw him, and recognized him from the Marion Town Orphanage. "Excuse me," she said. Then she whispered, "Daddy, what's he doing here?" "He is broke and he needs a place to stay, and someone to support him, and he trusts me to do so." "Well, I trust you; it's him I don't trust." "I'm the head of this household; he's only a guest. If he misbehaves, I'll kick him out, okay?" Bayleef smiled. "Okay, Daddy." Just then, a Growlithe ran in and bit Bayleef on the leg, growling as he did. She cried out in pain. Neil said, "Down, boy! Down!" Uncle Stone said, "Aw, come on. He's just friendly greeting her. Yes you are, Growlithe." Bayleef was still crying, and Neil glared. "I'm not buying it. That is not the way we greet others." Growlithe whimpered. "Now say sorry to Bayleef," scolded Neil. Growlithe fake-apologized, and Neil and Bayleef didn't buy it. Uncle Stone took up for Growlithe: "He said he was sorry; at least you could forgive him." Bayleef snapped, "Daddy and I could tell it was fake!" Stone snapped back, "Hey! Respect your elders!" Neil took up for Bayleef: "This is our house, not yours!" Stone snapped, "You too, young man!" Neil said, "Do you want a strike? Because you'll get one if you disrespect your host! And three strikes and you're out of this house!" Stone retorted, "You cannot treat elders this way!" Neil shouted, "STRIKE ONE!!! I mean it! Two more strikes and you'll be out of this house so quickly your head will spin! And then who will you turn to?" Stone gulped. He decided to cut his losses and quiet down. Growlithe also threw himself at Neil's mercy, apologizing for real. Neil then said, "However, you may be able to get that strike erased, _if_ you conduct yourself properly, be kind and gracious to your host and his daughter, and don't try to assert your authority." Uncle Stone agreed. "Good," said Neil. "Now go watch some TV or something. I have a pool in the backyard, a putting green indoors, wireless internet, a number of books..." Stone interrupted, "Thank you, nephew. I get the picture." And he and Growlithe sat on the couch and watched TV.

Just then, Croconaw came over and said, "Bayleef! My parents gave me the okay to go swimming with you!" "Yay!" Then they asked Neil, and he gave them the okay. Uncle Stone and Growlithe didn't like swimming, Uncle Stone because he couldn't swim, and Growlithe because he was a fire type (although Charizard, also a fire type, _loved_ swimming). So Bayleef and Croconaw, under the watchful eye of Neil, jumped into the pool. Just as they hit the water, rain began to fall in torrents. Fortunately, as was the norm, no lightning flashed and no thunder rumbled, so the girls could swim safely. Just then, Grovyle showed up. "Hey, ladies!" They said, "Hey, Grovyle!" Neil said, "Hey! Did your mom say you could go swimming with us?" "Sure!" Unfortunately, Grovyle had _not_ been allowed to do so; he hadn't finished his chores that morning. He swam for five minutes, and then he heard, " ** _GROVYLE!!!!!_** " He gulped. That was Ella! "How many times have I told you not to go swimming before finishing your chores!?" Grovyle had a smart-alecky remark ready: "Zero." "Don't get smart with me, young man!" "I'm not a man!" "Whatever. I said to finish your chores before doing anything else, swimming included." Neil interrupted, "Wait a minute! Grovyle, you lied?" Ella gasped, and Grovyle fumbled for words. "Ella, he told me you'd given him permission to swim with us." Ella then took Grovyle's hand and took him home, yelling at him all the way. Grovyle yelled, "Sorry, Croconaw!" Then Neil got in the pool. Swimming over to Bayleef and Croconaw, he said, "You see, girls, that's the problem with lies. They catch up to you, and you get in huge trouble." Then Charizard came over, and asked if he could go swimming with the girls. Neil ran inside, dried off, for his cell phone, and asked Mario if Charizard could go swimming with Bayleef and Croconaw. Mario said, "I _told_ him he could." Neil said, "Sorry. I just had an incident in which Grovyle lied to me. I had to make sure Charizard was okay to swim." Mario replied, "It's all right." Then Neil said goodbye, ran back outside in the drenching rain, and gave Charizard the okay to swim. The rain fell for an hour, and the Pokémon swam for another hour after it stopped. Then they all dried off and went back to their homes (well, Neil and Bayleef were already home; they went inside).

When Neil and Bayleef went inside, Uncle Stone asked, "What's for dinner?" Neil replied, "How does macaroni and cheese sound?" Stone replied, "I don't know. I've never listened to it!" Neil laughed. "Well, you can listen to it if you put your ear to it tonight. Ha ha ha!!" Uncle Stone was tempted to tell Neil to "respect his elders," but he had agreed to be nice to Neil and Bayleef, so he held his tongue. Neil gave each one (himself, Bayleef, Uncle Stone, and Growlithe) an equal amount of macaroni and cheese. Uncle Stone and Growlithe were upset that they didn't get more, but they were polite about it. "More, please," they said when they were done. Neil gave each of them one more serving. After dinner, Neil was so impressed by Uncle Stone's manners that he erased his strike and showed him the guest room. However, they were not satisfied. They saw Bayleef's jungle-decorated room and wanted to stay in it instead. Neil prohibited this. "No. That is my daughter's room, and you cannot sleep in there." Uncle Stone retorted, "Come on, she'll be more than happy to let us stay in there!" But Bayleef said, "You heard my daddy." And so they reluctantly settled in the guest room.

That night, however, Bayleef was awakened by a crash. Uncle Stone dropped his suitcase _right onto her Land Before Time playset!_ It was destroyed, and Bayleef gasped in shock. Then Growlithe went over and _peed on it!_ "Hey!" Bayleef protested. Then they _dragged her out of bed!!_ "Move over," said Uncle Stone. "I'm taking this bed. You will sleep on the floor." In tears, Bayleef said, "Daddy said-" But Uncle Stone interrupted, **_"DON'T ARGUE WITH YOUR ELDERS!!!! WE'RE TAKING THIS ROOM, AND YOU WILL DO AS WE SAY!!!!"_** Bayleef ran out of her room crying. **_"COME BACK HERE, YOUNG LADY!!!!"_** roared Uncle Stone. But Bayleef kept running...into Neil's bedroom. **_"DADDY!!!!"_ **Bayleef wailed. Neil had been sound asleep. He mumbled, "Huh? What's that?" Then he saw his Pokédaughter crying. That jolted him wide awake. "Bayleef! What's wrong!?" She sobbed, "Uncle Stone and Growlithe broke my Land Before Time playset and stole my bed!" Neil tightened up with rage, and Bayleef cowered in fear. "No, Bayleef, I'm not mad at you. Uncle Stone and Growlithe just earned two strikes for that stunt. I'll tell them in the morning." "But what about my bed, Daddy?" "You can sleep in mine. You're my daughter, after all." Bayleef's tears stopped, and her face turned into a huge smile. "Thank you, Daddy!" she shouted. Giggling, she jumped up and kissed him. He said, "I love you, Bayleef. Good night." She then fell asleep in Neil's bed, and Neil also went to sleep. He had conflicting emotions: he was happy to be close to his Pokédaughter, sad because she was sad, and angry because Uncle Stone and Growlithe were abusing her.

The next morning, Uncle Stone awoke and saw that Bayleef was not on the floor. He walked around to look for her and chew her out, but Neil beat him to the punch. "There you are, Uncle Stone!" he snapped. "I want a word with you!" Uncle Stone said, "No, it doesn't work like that!" Neil bellowed, **_"IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT, MY FOOT!!!! BAYLEEF RAN INTO MY ROOM IN TEARS, BECAUSE YOU TOOK OVER HER ROOM AND DESTROYED HER LAND BEFORE TIME PLAYSET!!!!!"_** Uncle Stone stammered, "But, but, but..." Neil bellowed, **_"DON'T GIVE ME THAT ELDER EXCUSE!!!! YOU ARE NOT ABOVE THE RULES!!!! I AM THE HEAD OF THIS HOUSE, NOT YOU!!!!" _**Then he calmed down and said, "You earned two strikes for your terrible behavior last night. One more strike, and you will have no place to live, no one to turn to, and...you get the idea." Uncle Stone tried to protest, but Neil remained firm. Uncle Stone sighed in defeat and moved back into the guest room, and Bayleef saw to it that he wouldn't try taking over her room again. "I _will_ tell Daddy if you do anything like that again," she said with am intense glare. He timidly replied, "Yes, ma'am." She smiled and said, "Good. I'm glad we got that settled."

 _Oh, no! Just when it seemed like Neil and Bayleef were in utopia, abuse has invaded its way back into Bayleef's life. Fortunately, she has Neil to defend her and her friends to hang out with, and Uncle Stone has already earned two strikes against him. He needs to be kind to Bayleef or Neil will throw him out._

 _Please review. Have you ever been in a situation like this? Will Uncle Stone behave himself, or will Neil end up throwing him out?_


	27. Millie Moneybags

The next morning...

Neil, Bayleef, Uncle Stone, and Growlithe were all eating Cheerios for breakfast. While Neil and Uncle Stone ate one bowl each, Bayleef and Growlithe had two. Bayleef playfully patted Growlithe on the back, and then he gave a _huge_ burp, causing the men to laugh; and then he patted her on the back, and _she_ gave a huge burp, saying, "Excuse me." Uncle Stone and Growlithe laughed hysterically, but Neil said, "Good girl, Bayleef! You said 'Excuse me' when you burped. Growlithe, _you_ should say 'Excuse me' when you burp." Growlithe said, "Okay, Mr. Neil. I'm sorry I peed on your toys, Bayleef." She smiled, put her front foot on his shoulder, and said, "I forgive you, Growlithe." "Thanks, Bayleef! Can we be friends?" Uncle Stone heard that, and he angrily said, "I strictly forbid that!" Neil raised his eyebrow at him, saying, "You don't want that third strike." That was all it took. And so, a new friendship was born. Neil then said, "Want to go next door to Ella and Grovyle's house?" Bayleef replied, "But Grovyle might be in trouble for disobeying his mom. I don't want to make him feel bad." "I'll call Ella and ask." And Ella affirmed Bayleef's suspicion: "He's not allowed to go out for three days, and he's not allowed to have any friends over." So Neil called Mario, the "other next door." Mario said, "Sure! Charizard will be thrilled to meet a new friend!" And so Neil said, "You two can go next door to Mario's house. Have fun! Uncle Stone, would you please hold down the fort? I'm going to the bank to make a withdrawal." "Okay, nephew." And so Bayleef and Growlithe went next door to Mario's house, Neil went to the bank, and Uncle Stone stayed home.

At Mario's house, Charizard greeted Bayleef. "Bayleef! It's so great to see you again! And who is this little guy?" Growlithe growled, "Who are you calling little?" Bayleef said, "This is Growlithe. He didn't like being called little." Then Charizard led them indoors and called for his "cousins," Luigi's Pikachu, Wario's Nidoking, and Waluigi's Weavile. After they came, he introduced his friends to them. Then Pikachu said, "Come on! Blastoise and Umbreon are selling lemonade! Please, Dad (meaning Luigi)!" Then Luigi gave everyone enough money for each of them to buy one glass. Wario then gave Nidoking enough money for four more glasses. Mario then did the same for Charizard. Then all six Pokémon (Bayleef, Growlithe, Charizard, Pikachu, Nidoking, and Weavile) ran to the lemonade stand across the street. Blastoise was drinking the lemonade, and then Umbreon slapped him (they were both Bowser's Pokémon). "Hey, what's the matter with you? Drinking up our profits! That's for our customers!" "I thought you said drink it." "Blastoise, you idiot!! I said 'sell it'! Only someone as demented as you could mix it up with 'drink it.'" "Well, why didn't you say so, Umbreon?" " ** _ARRRRGGGHH!!!!_** " Pikachu then said, "One, please." Blastoise and Umbreon glared at him. "What are you lookin' at?" glowered Umbreon. Then Peach's Sylveon, who had lined up behind Charizard and his friends, said, "We're thirsty. May we please have some lemonade?" Umbreon blushed. "Heheheh, sure," he giggled nervously. "Two dollars each." Everyone gasped. Two dollars for a glass of lemonade? Charizard and Nidoking could afford only one glass, and all Bayleef, Pikachu, Weavile, and Sylveon had was fifty cents. Nevertheless, they pooled their money and bought three glasses, deciding to share them--Charizard with Bayleef, Pikachu with Sylveon and Growlithe, and Nidoking with Weavile. As they drank, they talked about what was happening in their lives. Bayleef and Growlithe talked about Uncle Stone, Charizard and his "cousins" talked about the Kremlings' antics and how they drove Mario crazy, and Sylveon talked about how life in Peach's castle, as rich and lavish as it was, could get boring, and that was the reason they were taking a vacation in Palm Town. After everyone finished their lemonade, Umbreon and Blastoise asked each other, "Would you refill the lemonade?" But they each said, "I'm not refilling it. Why don't you refill it?" Then they turned to their customers and said, "Hey dorks! Refill our lemonade!" The customers all glared at them. But then Charizard sneered, "Sure, I'll fill it up." Then they handed him the jar, telling him, "We _may_ give you a free glass for this," and he took it inside. But then, they giggled, "He fell for it." Two minutes later, he came back out with it filled _almost_ all the way up. But Umbreon said, "Not good enough. You don't get your free glass." Charizard began to snicker. Bayleef asked, "What's so funny?" Then Blastoise guzzled _the entire jar all at once!_ Umbreon screamed, **_"BLASTOISE!!!!!!!"_** Charizard laughed so hard that he fell over! He laughed hard for two minutes, and then said, "I peed in their lemonade." Everyone groaned in disgust. He responded, "They don't call us dorks and get away with it." Then he growled at Blastoise and Umbreon. Then he and his friends, under the watchful eye of King K. Rool, went to the playground.

Meanwhile, Neil arrived at the bank to make his withdrawal. When he went to the tellers' station, waiting for him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "Hello," she said in a smooth voice, "what can I do for you today?" Neil fell instantly in love. "Who...are you?" he asked amorously. She answered, "I am Millie Moneybags." Neil went all gushy and spacey. She asked, "What may I do for you?" Neil sighed, so tongue-tied he couldn't speak. Then she frowned and asked, "Did you come for banking or just to ogle me?" "Whoops. I'm here to make a withdrawal." "Okay. How much?" "$50,000." "Wow. Okay, fill out this form." So he did. Then he asked, "Are you working late?" She deduced that he was asking her out. "Well, I don't go out with strangers, but you're an exception, good-looking. Meet me at your house 6:00 tomorrow night." "6:00 tomorrow night. Got it." As he turned to leave, it started raining hard. Millie said, "I declare! It's really raining, AGAIN!!! One thing I liked about my old town was that it didn't rain so much!" "Well, until it lets up, mind if I show you some pictures of my daughter?" "No, not at all!" So he showed her his pictures of Bayleef. She said, "I thought you were going to show me your daughter." Neil insisted, "Bayleef is my daughter!" "Ohhh, now I see. You love your Pokémon like a child." "She is my child. She's the greatest daughter a man can have. She's sweet, loving, friendly, and obedient. Here she is swimming in the rain!" "Ah, I see the rainbow in the background." "She _loves_ the rain. And here we are cuddling on the couch." And he went on to show her more pictures of Bayleef. And then Millie said, "Oh, at 6:00 tomorrow night, I want to have a surprise ready for you and your 'daughter.' I'll have to spend the night over tonight." Neil asked, "Over where?" In an annoyed tone, Millie answered, "At your house, of course!" Neil argued, "You said 6:00 tomorrow night!" "That was our date, silly boy!" "Oh. Well, when the rain lets up, we'll go over to my house."

Meanwhile, at the playground, Bayleef, Charizard, Pikachu, Nidoking, Weavile, and Sylveon were having a blast in the rain, but Growlithe wasn't. He was hiding under a slide. Charizard and Nidoking were playing catch with a red rubber ball, Pikachu and Weavile were rolling around on the ground getting muddy, and Bayleef and Sylveon walked over to the slide to comfort Growlithe. "Don't worry, Growlithe. It will soon let up, and then we can play on the slide." Pikachu and Weavile heard that, and they decided they'd better rinse off in the rain before it stopped. Three minutes later, the rain stopped, and Growlithe joined the girls on the slide. He tried to cut in front of them, but Sylveon said, "Ladies first, please." Growlithe said, "Shut up, spoiled brat!" Sylveon retorted, "Don't you know manners?" Growlithe retorted, "You're one to talk, you slut!" Bayleef stepped in and said, "Don't call her that!" Growlithe then growled and bit Bayleef in the neck. She screamed and cried, but he wouldn't let go. She struggled to say, "I thought we were friends now!" He retorted, "Ha! I faked you out, and you fell for it! Ha ha ha..." Growlithe was cut off by a hand around his throat. It was Charizard, who began to beat him up mercilessly! "No one treats my girlfriend like that! **_NO ONE!!!!!!_** "He just kept pounding him until King K. Rool ran over and pulled him off Growlithe. Charizard wriggled and wriggled, but it was no use. Bayleef then said, "He rescued me from Growlithe. Please don't hurt him." King K. Rool replied, "We're all going home, and I'm telling everyone about this!" Charizard feared that Mario would just get mad at him for beating up someone. Everyone thought that they would get in trouble because of that one incident. But when they all got home, and King K. Rool explained everything, their trainers were anything but condemning. Peach, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi simply dismissed it. Mario only admonished Charizard, to which he protested that Growlithe was hurting his girlfriend, to which he said, "You should have told K. Rool." Charizard protested, "He saw it, and he didn't do a thing!" Mario then said, "Oh. I see your point. You really like Bayleef, don't you?" Charizard admitted, "Yes, I do." Uncle Stone _actually rewarded_ Growlithe for his bullying behavior toward Bayleef and Sylveon! "Good boy! Attaboy!" And he gave him a treat. Neil gasped when he saw the bite marks on Bayleef's neck. " ** _*GASP* BAYLEEF!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU??!?_** " She began to cry. She sobbed, "Growlithe *sob* cut in front of Sylveon *sob* and called her a slut! *sniff* I tried to stop him, then he attacked me and wouldn't let go!" Then she settled down and said, "Then Charizard came in to rescue me." She sighed and smiled when she thought of him. Neil replied, "He's really nice to you, isn't he? Do you like him?" Bayleef said, "I love him. He's wonderful!" She remembered the time he had foiled the Marion Town elders' plan to take her back to the Marion Town Orphanage. Neil then said, "Come on. Let's get you fixed up." So he took her to the kitchen and put some ointment on her. It stung, so she cried. Neil hugged her and said, "I know it stings, but it will help you feel better." Fortunately, Growlithe had done surprisingly little damage to Bayleef's neck; it wasn't bleeding very much. All Neil needed to do was put some Band-Aids on her wounds (after he'd disinfected them, of course). Then he pampered her; they watched two hours of television, and then they played three rounds of Candy Land. Then they had spaghetti for dinner, and then Neil gave Bayleef a bath (and Uncle Stone didn't give Growlithe a bath). Neil then continued pampering Bayleef. He laid her on the couch and petted her until she fell asleep (she sighed happily the whole time he was petting her).

While Neil was pampering and petting Bayleef, Uncle Stone was rearranging her room back the way he had it before he got his two strikes, completely ignoring Neil's warning that he would kick him out if there was one more strike. When he was finished, the doorbell rang. Neil answered the door, and it was Millie Moneybags. "Good evening, Neil. I came here to prepare a surprise for you and your daughter." Neil said, "Oh!" then he ran over and awakened Bayleef. She said, "Huh? Daddy?" He then led her to the door and said, "Bayleef, this is Millie Moneybags. Millie, this is my daughter, Bayleef." Bayleef said, "Nice to meet you, Millie Moneybags." "The pleasure's all mine, Bayleef." Then she spoke seductively to Neil. "You have a sweet daughter, even if she isn't human. You have the qualities of a man I like. You're rich, famous, successful, charming, sexy..." she went on flattering him until bedtime. "Well, it's time to hit the sack." Millie then found Bayleef's room, but Uncle Stone had already settled in and gone to bed. Growlithe went as far as to _poop on Bayleef's Land Before Time playset!!_ Bayleef didn't notice that yet. Neil then showed her the guest room, and she said, "You are too gracious. I'll just freshen up and get my things unpacked, and I'll see you in the morning." Bayleef said, "Good night, Millie Moneybags." She said sternly, " _Ms._ Moneybags." "Sorry. I don't know the 'Ms.' thing, Ms. Moneybags." Neil said, "That's what you call strangers, in addition to Sir for men and Ma'am for women." Bayleef answered, "Yes, sir." Neil praised her, "Good girl! You called me 'sir.'" Millie glared at him, "Don't praise her. She should be expected to do those." Bayleef frowned. It seemed like Millie didn't like her. She went to her room and saw Uncle Stone in her bed, her toys trashed, and Growlithe poop on her Land Before Time playset. **_"DADDY!!!!"_** she wailed. Neil ran to her room amd saw that Uncle Stone had taken back over her room. Neil, on the inside, flew into a rage. He thought, " _Uncle Stone has gone way too far. This is his third strike. First thing in the morning, I'm kicking him out._ " Then he said, "Bayleef, would you please help me move Uncle Stone's things to the front door? This is his third strike, so he's gonna be kicked out first thing in the morning." She smiled and said, "Okay, Daddy, sir!" Neil said, "Just 'Daddy' is fine." And so they moved all of Uncle Stone's possessions to the front door. When they were done, Millie called Bayleef over. Millie then said, "Now I see. You are a spoiled brat! I was going to give you this unicorn toy, but I changed my mind." "That's okay, ma'am. I don't like unicorns, anyway." "Don't you dare sass me, young lady." Neil asked, "What's going on?" Millie responded, _completely_ changing her tone, "Why, your daughter is the most generous, sweet, little angel I've met. She said I could keep the unicorn toy I wanted to give her." Neil then said, "You didn't have to do that." Bayleef said, "It's okay, Daddy. I wanted to." He hugged her and said, "Good girl, sweetheart." Then she led Neil into his room and said, "I don't like her. She's mean." Neil answered, "She said good things about you, and you call her mean?" She then said, "She called me a spoiled brat! And when I called her 'ma'am', she accused me of sassing her!" And she began to cry. Neil said, "She wouldn't do anything like that." Bayleef cried, "She did!" Neil said, "She's just not used to you. She'll like you once she gets to know you better." Bayleef wasn't so sure. "I'll let you sleep in my bed tonight." Bayleef perked up. Two nights in a row sleeping with Daddy? All right! So he tucked her in and kissed her. "Good night, sweetheart. I love you." "I love you too, Daddy. I hope you're right about Ms. Moneybags." Unbeknownst to either of them, Millie had been divorced six times prior; her original maiden name was Millie Vanilli.

 _Bayleef is still being bullied, but at least she still has Neil and Charizard to help her. And Uncle Stone has scored his third strike, so he is about to be kicked out of Neil's house, so Bayleef won't have to worry about him anymore. However, Millie Moneybags has entered the picture, and she is very possessive of Neil, and he is really drawn to her, but she doesn't seem to like Bayleef. How will she handle this_?

 _Please review. Were you ever in a situation like this? How does it feel to have friends in high places when you're being bullied?_ _And what do you think Millie Moneybags' surprise is?_


	28. A Fun Day Out

The next morning,

Neil was fixing breakfast for Millie Moneybags and Bayleef. He had just finished when Uncle Stone came up to him and asked, "Where are my possessions? They're supposed to be in my room!" Neil responded, "What you did last night was your third strike. Your possessions are at the front door. Take them and get out." "Neil, I am your elder." "This is my house! I make the rules here! And you refused to follow them! Get out of my house!" "Neil..." _"I SAID GET OUT!!!"_ But Uncle Stone wouldn't budge. "Neil!" Bayleef chimed in, "Daddy said get out." Uncle Stone then told her, grabbing a broom, "You little psycho, this time you've gone too far!" She retorted, "Not me; _you_ have!" "You're an evil girl, and you gotta learn to respect your elders! And if your old man won't teach you manners, by golly, **I will!** " Bayleef retorted, crossing to the front door, "You have no room to be teaching me manners when you have none yourself!" In a rage, Uncle Stone screamed and charged at her, but she fancily spun out of the way, causing him to sail out the front door. Neil followed up by throwing Uncle Stone's possessions on top of him. Millie Moneybags asked, "Don't you think you're being much too hasty with your uncle?" Neil responded, "Absolutely not. He was warned this would happen if he didn't behave himself. He didn't behave himself, so I have to kick him out." Millie said, "Oh, I see. Well, after we eat breakfast, I have a big day planned for you both. And I have a surprise ready at the end of the day." So Neil and Bayleef read the plans. At nine, they would hang out at the playground. At ten, they would go swimming at the water park. At eleven, they would go to the mall. For lunch at twelve, they would go to Chuck E. Cheese's. At one, they would go to the movie theater. At three-thirty, they would go shopping at the toy store. At five, they had some free time, but they had to be home at six; they would have dinner then. Neil and Bayleef loved those plans. Neil said, "You are too thoughtful, Millie. We are going to have a great fun day out." And Bayleef told Millie, "I think we just got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry for our misunderstanding." Millie said, "It's all right. Just have fun, and don't come back until six. I'll need that time to put together your surprise." "Okay, Ms. Moneybags! Bye!" "See you later!" But as soon as they got in the car, Bayleef's expression changed. With a scowl, she said, "Millie's up to something. I can sense it." Neil tried to assure her, "What she's up to is the surprise she's working on for us." "What if we don't like it?" "I'll tell her in private. Don't worry about a thing." "I could tell by the tone of her voice and just the way she looked that she's up to something bad." "She would never do that. She's too good a woman to." Bayleef was worried that Millie had somehow gotten ahold of Neil. Meanwhile, Millie had invited Uncle Stone back into the house. "I could use some help getting my surprise ready for those two twerps." "Absolutely. I'm willing to do anything you ask." Millie gave a sinister chuckle, and they began their work. Bayleef didn't know it, but her suspicions were correct. Millie _was_ up to something bad.

At nine, Neil and Bayleef arrived at the playground. She quickly ran to meet her friends Quilava and Croconaw. They played on the swings for a while, seeing who could swing the highest (Croconaw). Then, giggling, they got off the swings and talked about how things were going in their lives. Bayleef said, "My daddy's Uncle Stone has been living with us for the last two days, but he kicked him out for mistreating me. Yesterday, however, a woman named Millie Moneybags came into our lives, and she's mean!" Quilava and Croconaw knew only nice things about her, so they stared at her like she was daff. Bayleef tried to convince them, telling about how Millie had yelled at her and falsely accused her of sassing her, but her efforts were in vain. They laughed at her, making her cry and run off. Then Croconaw said, "Hey Quilava, my parents got me a new swimsuit. They're taking me to the water park after a while." Quilava said, "Good, have fun." Croconaw asked, "What's the matter?" "Ah can't go to no water park. Mah folks ain't got no money for it." "Well, I'll tell my folks, and they might talk to yours about accompanying us there." "Well, corn mah pone! Thanks, y'all!" So Grace and Gene got permission from Mr. and Mrs. Typhlosion to take Quilava with them to the water park. Meanwhile, Bayleef was crying her eyes out in Neil's arms. "Daddy, they won't believe me when I say Millie is bad!" "Bayleef," Neil sternly said, "we've been over this. Millie is a kind, sweet woman, who's planning a nice surprise for us." Bayleef's heart sank. Millie had gotten to Neil even more than Bayleef had thought. "Now, come on. Let's get you a swimsuit for the water park!" Bayleef's heart leapt. Neil still loved her! So off they went to buy Bayleef a swimsuit. By the time he had bought the swimsuit, it was time to head to the water park.

When they get to the water park, Bayleef noticed Croconaw's new swimsuit, and forgot all about her refusal to believe her about Millie (Neil also refused to believe her). She excitedly said, "Croconaw! You also got a new swimsuit!" Croconaw laughed, "Ha! You call that a swimsuit!?" Bayleef's face fell, and then she heard a terrible roar. It was Charizard, sporting red swimming trunks, and he was absolutely _outraged._ " _ **NOBODY PICKS ON MY FRIEND AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!!!!!!**_ " Gene ran over before it got physical. "What is going on?" Croconaw said, "This guy is sticking up for that lame-oid Bayleef." Charizard growled. Croconaw was still picking on Bayleef _right in front of him!_ _ **"FATHER!!!!!!!!!"**_ he bellowed. Mario ran over and asked, "What's-a the matter?" Charizard answered, "Croconaw here is picking on Bayleef, _**RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER FATHER!!!!!**_ " Gene calmly responded, "Croconaw will sit out the first ten minutes. The Gene will not tolerate such behavior toward her friend." Croconaw protested, "She's no friend of mine!" Gene then said, "Fifteen." Quilava tried to protest, but that got her five minutes herself. Bayleef felt horrible that she had lost two friends, but she cheered right up when Charizard hugged her. He was her _best_ friend, and she would have been absolutely devastated if she'd lost him. Together, they went to the water slide, sliding down the biggest one five times each, laughing each time they made their splash into the pool at the end. Then they spent some time on the bumper boats. At 10:30, it began to rain. Fortunately, there was no lightning or thunder, and it was actually a soft, light shower (like the ones in Hawaii known as "blessings"). Charizard and Bayleef spent that time on the lazy river. It was soothing just to rest on their tubes with a light rain falling on them. Then they spent the rest of their time at the water park playing in the wave pool. They were having a great time splashing in the waves when Charizard suddenly gasped, grabbed Bayleef, and flew out of the water. Umbreon had peed in the wave pool, and Blastoise was now railing on him. "You say I'm an idiot! I'm too smart to do that!" Umbreon retorted, "I did that for Sylveon. Chicks dig bad boys." Blastoise said, "But I'll get to stay in the wave pool, and you'll get kicked out." Blastoise was only half right; security guards came and escorted Umbreon out of the park, but Blastoise also had to leave the wave pool ( _everyone_ had to). Charizard and Bayleef spent the rest of the time just soaking in the soft rain. Sylveon then glared at Umbreon and said, "That was disgusting!" Bowser blushed in embarrassment as he and his Pokémon were escorted away from the water park.

At eleven, the rain stopped, and Neil and Bayleef bade Charizard farewell, went to the car, and headed for the mall. Once they arrived, Bayleef said, "Let's play mini golf!" Neil chuckled, "You sure do love mini golf, don't you?" So they played a round, improving their scores. Neil forgot about having fun and concentrated on lowering his score, which resulted in his setting the course record: 28! Bayleef, however, did worse; she shot a 72, but she didn't seem to care. Then they went toy shopping again. Bayleef saw some more dinosaur toys (specifically, _Dinosaur Train_ toys), and she asked, "Daddy, could I have those?" Neil said, "You sure do love dinosaurs, don't you?" Bayleef responded, "Yes. Being a dinosaur myself, why wouldn't I?" "Ha ha. But that's _Dinosaur Train,_ not _Land Before Time._ " "I want to expand my horizons." Neil couldn't help but laugh. "Okay. Episodes come on weekdays at 11:00." "Yay!" So he bought her those toys. And then they made some wishes at the wishing fountain. Just before noon, they went to Chuck E. Cheese's. They ate a quick lunch, and then they had a blast playing the games. But what really made Bayleef happy was that Charizard and Mario had also come to Chuck E. Cheese's for lunch and games. Then Charizard and Bayleef had a friendly competition to see who could win more tickets. The manager noticed, and asked what was going on. They told him about their game, and he counted their tickets. They each had 54, so he said, "If it's okay with your parents, I'll give you each a turn in the Ticket Blaster." After getting Mario and Neil's approval, they each took a turn in the Ticket Blaster. Charizard beat Bayleef 125 to 98. She groaned, and then she gave him a congratulatory hug. The manager wanted a picture of that cute spectacle, so he, Mario, and Neil all took pictures. Then Neil noticed that it was close to one o'clock, so he and Bayleef bade them goodbye.

Then Neil and Bayleef went to the movies. The movie they watched was _Cars 3._ They loved watching Lightning McQueen race, and as such, they were disappointed when Jackson Storm started winning the races. They gasped in horror when Lightning McQueen crashed, laughed when he broke the training simulator, and cheered when Cruz Ramirez defeated Jackson Storm. After the movie, they went to the toy store. They were supposed to shop at the toy store until five, but all Bayleef wanted was a playground ball (she had new _Dinosaur Train_ toys from the mall). So Neil bought her the ball and asked her what she wanted now. She said, "Let's play with my new ball at Charizard's house!" So Neil drove her to Mario's house, where Charizard met her at the door. She showed him her new ball, and they went to the backyard and played with it for an hour and a half. Then they talked about what was happening in their lives. Fortunately, when Bayleef complained about Millie Moneybags, Charizard believed her lock, stock, and barrel. He gave her a hug and said, "Don't worry. I'll help you through this as best I can." Bayleef tearfully replied, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Then Blastoise and Umbreon showed up. "Well, well, well. It's the little baby. Baby Bayleef, you're a baby. You're a baby. You're a baby. You're a b-a-b-y. You're a b-a-b-y. You're a b-a-b-y." Suddenly, Umbreon was struck by a Fairy Wind attack. It was Sylveon! She screamed, "LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU BIG BULLY!!!!!" Umbreon then said, "Ooooh, I'm in love! Anyone with an attitude like that..." She screamed, "I WOULDN'T GO OUT WITH YOU IF YOU WERE THE LAST POKÉMON IN THE KINOKO REGION!!!!" and she kicked him. When Charizard pitched in to help, Umbreon ran away, yelling, "I'm going, I'm going!" Then Charizard said, "My father's been homeschooling me. I've been learning reading, writing, and arithmetic, otherwise known as the three R's." Then he produced several sets of flashcards. "I got them down yesterday. We've been going over these ever since we moved here. Let's see what you know." Blastoise and Sylveon joined in with Bayleef, but none of them did very well. "I guess we'd better start with the ABC's and 123's." Bayleef and Sylveon already knew the ABC's and 123's, but Blastoise said, "I love animals! My favorite animal is a lily pad." Sylveon laughed, but Bayleef didn't. Charizard actually cried (This is similar to the SuperMarioLogan episode "Jeffy's Homework" where Jeffy said his favorite animal was a carrot). He tried anyway, but just like Jeffy, Blastoise was scared of the animals on the cards. So Charizard simply handwrote the alphabet. He tried to teach Blastoise that way, but with equal failure. Fortunately, Sylveon and Bayleef wanted to learn to write the alphabet as well as read it. So Charizard taught them, and they practiced until six o'clock, when it was time for Neil and Bayleef to go home. On the way (it was just next door), Bayleef gave Neil a big hug and said, "Thank you so much, Daddy! This has been the best day ever!" Neil smiled. "It's not over yet, sweetheart." Then they opened the door to their house.

 _It looks like Bayleef has had a great day, despite losing two friends. She had fun at the playground, the water park, the mall, Chuck E. Cheese's, the movie theater, and Charizard's house. Speaking of Charizard, it looks as if he really loves Bayleef. Can we look forward to more development between him and Bayleef?_

 _Please review. When was the last time you had a fun day out? What was it like?_


	29. Neil Has Turned!

"SURPRISE!!!!" Millie Moneybags shouted. Neil and Bayleef stared in surprise. Their house was _completely_ redecorated. It was now very fancy. "Do you like it?" she asked. Neil gasped, "I _love_ it! It's beautiful!" Bayleef interjected, "It looks like a princess castle!" Millie then said, "I knew you'd love it. I know how much you're accustomed to the rich lifestyle. It's about time you got back into it." Just then, he noticed Uncle Stone. In shock, he asked, "Wha? B-b-but... HOW DID YOU GET BACK IN!!??" Millie then answered, using her seductive tone, "I needed some help decorating the house. And he is such a good worker, don't you think you could cut him some slack and let him back in?" Neil sighed dreamily, "Of course. Uncle Stone has more than redeemed himself. He can stay as long as he wants." Bayleef angrily stepped up and said, "Daddy, I need to talk to you in private." Neil snapped out of his trance and answered, "What is it, sweetie?" She led him into the bathroom and whispered, "I don't like that decor at all. And what is Uncle Stone doing here?" He whispered back, "He helped Millie with her surprise, and they did a great job at it. He managed to redeem his third strike, I don't know how he did it, but he did." Bayleef whispered, "I know how he did it. Millie let him back in after you threw him out!" "Bayleef, you need to appreciate the hard work they have done for our house." "Did we ask them to do this?" Neil angrily replied, "No backtalk, young lady." Bayleef was stunned; it wasn't like Neil at all too snap at her like that! "Daddy?" "Get out and apologize to Millie for your bad attitude." "I..." "Now!" Bayleef nearly teared up. Why was Neil being so mean to her? Of course, the answer was Millie Moneybags. Ever since she had come to Neil's house, he had not been the same Neil Bayleef knew and loved. Nevertheless, she still loved him and was willing to obey him. So she approached Millie who then grabbed her foreleg and curtly asked, "What have you been up to?" Bayleef answered, "Daddy and I were talking, and I'm sorry for my bad-" Millie interrupted, "You are a mean little girl! Now go wash up and put on the dress I got you. I will not have an unkempt girl at my table." Bayleef gave her a look, saying, " _Your_ table?" Not missing a beat, Millie bellowed, _**"GET!!!!!"**_ Bayleef was startled, but she went to her room to dress up, and then Uncle Stone intercepted her and said in a foreboding voice, "And you _will_ enjoy your new room. You hear me?" And Millie punctuated it: "You'd _better_ enjoy it!" Bayleef then went to her room, thinking, " _I_ _probably won't._ "

When Bayleef entered her room, she gasped in shock. It was decorated with prissy princess-style things, but one detail set her off. "Unicorns! _I **HATE** unicorns!_ This woman has gone too far!!" But she went to the bathroom, washed her face, and put on the dress Millie gave her. Then she went into the dining room. Waiting for her were Stone, Neil, and Millie. Millie said, "Ta-da! We're having pot roast for dinner!" Bayleef said, "Thank you, Millie." Millie wanted to tell her off, but with Neil right beside her, she couldn't. They then ate their dinner. Bayleef didn't eat much of the meat, but she ate all her vegetables. She politely minded her manners all the way through, looking to Neil as an example if she was confused on anything. But when the meal was over, that was when the real trouble began. When Bayleef politely said, "Thank you for a good dinner," Millie Moneybags, for no apparent reason, blew her stack at her. _**"DON'T BE SARCASTIC WITH ME, YOUNG LADY!!!!!"**_ In shock and tears, Bayleef tried to explain. "I wasn't..."Millie interrupted, screaming at the top of her lungs, _**"DON'T LIE TO ME, YOU JERK!!!!! I KNOW WHEN I'VE BEEN INSULTED!!!!! YOUR COMPLETE LACK OF ANY MANNERS OR GRATITUDE AT ALL IS A DISGRACE TO SOCIETY!!!!! YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO SOCIETY!!!!! YOU WORTHLESS, FAILURE, CRUDE, DISGUSTING GUTTERSNIPE!!!!!"**_ Neil then said, "Let me talk to her." Millie calmed down and said, "Please do." So he took her to her room, sat her down on her bed and started yelling at her. Although it was not as loud as Millie, it felt much worse. "Bayleef, you failed me! You failed Millie, and you failed Uncle Stone. I am very disappointed in you, young lady." Bayleef said, "I tried my best, Daddy." "No, you were sarcastic with her. I raised you better than this!" "I really was thanking her! Daddy, she hates me!" "She goes to all the trouble of redecorating our house and making us dinner, and this is how you repay her?!" "Daddy, she said all sorts of bad things to me! _Millie Moneybags is bad!_ " "Bayleef, you think _all_ women are bad! That woman has nothing but good intentions!" It was then that Bayleef knew--Millie had _completely_ gotten to Neil. He continued, "I cannot believe your behavior tonight, and after you were so good today! I am truly disappointed in you. This is not the Bayleef I know and love. You will stay in your room until morning and think about what you've done, while I think up an appropriate punishment for you. I am very angry with you. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust you again." And then he stormed out of the room. Bayleef broke down in tears. She knew she had done nothing wrong, and yet, she was going to be punished. That was like life at the Marion Town Orphanage, where Pokémon were abused no matter what they did, or how well they behaved. Only this time, it was worse: the one who had rescued her from that place was now doing that to her. Worse still, he had said, "This is not the Bayleef I know and love," and she knew that she _was_ still the same Bayleef he knew and loved. Her heart sank to an all-time low. She sobbed, "He doesn't love me anymore."

Outside Bayleef's room, Millie met Neil and soothingly said, "Neil, I hope you weren't too harsh with her." Neil sadly sighed, "I feel like I've failed as a father." "Oh no. You must never feel that way. You've been a great father to her, but there's only so much you can do. You have all the qualities of a good father, but you need a mother for emotional guidance, comfort, morality, things like that." Neil responded, "Yes. I think you should talk to her and help her understand that we all love her and want what's best for her." "All right. I'll calm her down as well." "You do that." And so she entered Bayleef's room, and her demeanor _completely_ changed. She glowered, "Listen here, you little monster. I am mightier than you are, and I always get what I want, so back off!" Bayleef shivered in fear, and Millie continued, "because whether you like it or not, I am going to marry your daddy, and when I do, you'll be on a one-way ticket... _to the Marion Town Orphanage!_ " Bayleef screamed, " _ **NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!**_ " Millie then slapped her hard. "Don't scream at me, young lady!" "Please don't send me back there!" cried Bayleef. "I'll do anything you ask! Just _please_ don't send me back there!" "You're already supposed to be doing anything I ask," said Millie, "but no matter what, you are still going back to the Marion Town Orphanage." Bayleef was terrified. The orphanage had severely mistreated her the four years she had lived there, and now she was going to be sent back there, to be forced back into a life of pain and terror. She ran out of her room and yelled, "DADDY!!!!" Neil turned around and glared at her. He said, "Get back to your room." Bayleef replied, "MILLIE'S GONNA SEND ME BACK TO THE ORPHANAGE!!!!" "Bayleef, back to your room!" "Daddy, you have to believe me! She said the Marion Town Orphanage!" "Forget it, Bayleef. You have no credibility anymore," Neil responded in a cold, cruel tone. "You will go back to your room and take your punishment like a good girl. I was going to take away your TV, toys, and games for a week, but because you disobeyed me and left your room, it's now two weeks." Bayleef sighed in defeat. She knew there was no way Neil would ever even listen to her, let alone believe her. She had no choice but to go back to her room and cry.

That night, Bayleef couldn't sleep. She thought, _"I can't believe this is happening. Daddy always used to listen to me about things like this. Why won't he believe me about that awful Millie Moneybags!? She's as mean as the elders at my old orphanage! But Daddy thinks she's some kind of sublime goddess! Why can't he see her for who she really is: a cruel, evil monster who wants to send me back to a life of torment?"_ Neil couldn't sleep either. He thought, _"Why is my daughter acting like this? She used to be such a good little girl, but ever since Millie Moneybags came, Bayleef's been nothing but trouble! This is not like her at all! Why can't she see Millie for who she really is: a wonderful, sublime creature who wants to make a home for us?_ Uncle Stone also couldn't sleep. He thought, _"I hope to goodness Neil marries Millie Moneybags. I really need the money. Neil won't give it to me, but Millie will. And then I can rise to my former power and glory again."_ Millie Moneybags was sleeping peacefully. She thought, _"First, I'll marry Neil, and then I can get rid of that Bayleef. No._ First, _I get my friends to torture her, because I_ know _she is going to try to stop me from marrying Neil. But then again, he's not listening to her now, so I may not need their help after all. But she might have something up her sleeve, so I'm calling them up, just in case. Yeah, then there's no stopping our wedding. Heh heh heh."_

 _Oh no! This story has taken a very sad turn. The best day of_ _Bayleef's life has become the worst day of her life! Neil's attitude toward her has_ completely _changed. He is starting to mistreat her, even though she has done nothing to deserve it!_ _And to make matters worse, Millie Moneybags, the cause of all this trouble, is planning to marry him and send her back to the Marion Town Orphanage, the place that tormented her so badly! What's Bayleef to do? How will her friends react when they find out?_

 _P_ _lease review. Have you ever known something was wrong and tried to tell others, but they would not believe you_ _no matter what? Have you ever followed the rules_ to the letter _and_ still _been punished for it?_


	30. Abuse Begins Anew

The next morning (Sunday),

Before breakfast, Neil made an announcement to Bayleef, Growlithe, and Uncle Stone. "Listen up. I have news I know you'll love. I am going to marry Millie Moneybags this coming Saturday." Uncle Stone cheered. Growlithe growled, but he didn't protest. Bayleef did. She knew that a whiny tone wouldn't work, so she used a tough, angry tone. She snapped, "But Daddy, she hates me!" Neil said, "No, she knows what's best for you. She knows you need a mother, and she's the best one for the job." "No, she isn't! She is going to ruin everything!" "Bayleef, a girl being raised by men is unnatural! Girls need women to teach them how to be girls. She is wonderful, kind, and of strong moral fiber." Bayleef then stood on her hind legs and screamed, "YOU'RE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE!!!!" Neil bellowed right back, "I AM THE PARENT AND I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT TO DO, AND THIS SATURDAY I AM MARRYING MILLIE MONEYBAGS!!!!" Bayleef sank to the floor in defeat. There was nothing she could do to change his mind. Then Millie took him by the hand and said, "Let us be going. We have a gazillion things to do today. But don't worry. I'll be leaving Bayleef with some great friends of mine while we go out." Neil asked, "Who are they?" Millie answered, "Only the most reputable pet sitters in the Kinoko Region." "Pet sitters? Bayleef is not a pet! She's my daughter!" "Oh, they're going to treat her with motherly care, I can assure you." "Thanks." And Neil and Millie went out. Unfortunately, those "pet sitters" were a few of the Marion Town Orphanage elders, and the meaner ones at that! She tried to back away, but Growlithe held her down, and the elders caught her, and said, "Now, you'll _really_ learn to respect your elders, and what better teacher than suffering? Heh heh heh heh." Then began a familiar cycle of abuse. They tortured her, made her do grueling work around the house, and beat her badly, no matter how well she did the job. She cried a lot, which caused then to beat her even more! And she was once again not allowed to go potty _at all,_ although that was a necessary bodily function. That was like life at the Marion Town Orphanage, but it was worse; the elders were doing that to her _in her own home!!_

That night, she tearfully told Neil everything the elders did to her, but he _would not believe her **at all!!**_ "Bayleef, I got you away from those monsters. They are not harming you. Believe me, if they were, I'd know it." "But--" " ** _SHUT UP!!!!!_** " screamed Neil, and he actually went as far as to **_hit_** Bayleef! She ran away screaming, and Uncle Stone stopped her, and said, "And you're sleeping outside tonight! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!" Then he threw Bayleef out of the house, _right in front of Neil, **and Neil did nothing about it!!**_ To make matters worse, she was excluded from dinner altogether, and the elders sneaked outside to give Bayleef a severe beating, laughing sadistically when they were done! That night, the elders revealed themselves to Neil and Millie. Neil couldn't believe it. They had been hurting Bayleef behind his back! Just as he was about to protest, Millie soothingly said, "You're supposed to respect your elders, remember? They're older, wiser, more experienced, more..." and she went on and on, hypnotizing Neil. He said, "You're right. I've been a bad boy. I've spoiled Bayleef rotten. I'll teach her respect. I'll..." and then he fell asleep. The elders then laid him on the couch, and commandeered his bed. Then they allowed Growlithe to sleep at the end of Neil's bed, but Bayleef had to sleep outside! As if that weren't bad enough, they _even chained her up_ so she couldn't move more than three feet away! And then they gave her _another beating, **laughing** when they were done!_

That night, Bayleef cried her eyes out, in immense pain from the beatings the elders gave her, and heartache that Neil was also mistreating her. Meanwhile, the toilets at Mario's house were backed up, so Charizard had to go potty in the backyard. He was in the middle of relieving himself when he heard Bayleef sobbing. He finished, flew over to Neil's backyard, landed next to her, and asked, "What's the matter, Bayleef?" But then he noticed the chain. Bayleef cried, "Everything!! Millie has ruined everything, Daddy hates me, and the Marion Town Orphanage elders have come all the way just to torture me!" And she broke down in tears, unable to continue. Charizard hugged her tightly, and she winced. Charizard then noticed that Bayleef was bruised all over! He then breathed fire into his hands and performed the ancient Chinese healing ( _The Karate Kid,_ 2010) on Bayleef. Although she winced from the hot flames, she then sighed happily and fell asleep in Charizard's arms. He sighed contentedly, and then gently laid her back on the ground. His heart broke for her. He ran back into his house crying. Mario noticed how sad he was, and he asked, "Why are you crying?" "Bayleef's being abused! *sob* The orphanage elders came all the way from Marion Town to abuse my girlfriend!" Mario froze. "Did you just say what I think you did?" Charizard asked, "What?" "You say Bayleef is your girlfriend?" Charizard sighed. The gig was up. "Yes. I don't just like her; I _love_ her. I've loved her ever since I first saw her. And I don't mean the 'kissy-kissy-smooch' love. I mean I want to look out for her well-being. I want to marry her when she evolves into Meganium!" Mario gasped, in complete shock at what he'd heard (although he had called Bayleef his girlfriend before), but Charizard remained firm. He went to bed, thinking about nothing but Bayleef. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

On Monday, Bayleef suffered the same abuse as she had Sunday (including being starved; she hadn't been given one morsel of food all day), but the night was better. Not only did Charizard come to visit, but Grovyle was released from his grounding, so he visited her, too. And he also believed her when she explained her predicament. To top things off, he also said that he would help her through this ordeal, and he gave her a bowl of Pokémon food, which she ate like there was no tomorrow. They all hugged as happy friends. On Tuesday, however, things took a turn for the worse. While Charizard and Grovyle were caring for her, Neil, who awoke for a midnight snack, caught them. "You know you're not supposed to be near her..." he scolded, but Charizard cut him off. " _Someone_ has to take care of her, since _you're_ not doing the job..." Neil interrupted, "She's grounded!" Grovyle protested, "She didn't do anything wrong!" Neil coldly answered, "Yes, she did! She insulted Millie..." Charizard had a comeback: "No, she didn't! She was polite during the meal..." Neil ran inside, called Mario and Ella, and told them what Charizard and Grovyle were doing. Needless to say, Mario and Ella were very displeased, and they took their Pokemon back home without another word. Charizard and Grovyle kept protesting, but Mario and Ella not only wouldn't listen to them, but they also grounded them for "no telling how long!" Bayleef could only tearfully watch as her two friends were taken away from her. She was afraid to do anything, because she knew Neil was not in his right mind, and might seriously injure her if she did something. And to top it off, the elders then beat her **_right in front of_** ** _Neil!!_** She screamed for him to help her; but with a wicked smile, he just sat back and ** _enjoyed it!!!!!_** This was not the Neil she knew and loved! Then everyone (the humans and Growlithe) laughed as they went back inside, leaving Bayleef the most miserable she'd _ever_ felt _in her **entire life!**_ To make things worse, on Wednesday night, the elders got up every hour just to beat her, adding to her misery.

On Thursday night, however, Bayleef caught a break! Just when the elders had chained her up for the night, it began to rain: that familiar, tepid, torrential rain that she loved. On top of that, she had not been chained "properly"; she was able to unchain herself and run around! She felt very good, despite the pain from the severe abuse she suffered all day. On top of that, Peach's Sylveon and Daisy's Leafeon had come to comfort her. Bayleef did shed some tears as she told Sylveon and Leafeon about her troubles with Millie Moneybags, but she cheered right up when they, like Charizard and Grovyle, completely believed her and offered to help her through the ordeal. Actually, the Eeveelutions _one-upped_ them; _they actually offered to help **stop the wedding!!**_ Bayleef actually cheered when she heard that! The rest of the night was spent playing and frolicking in the warm downpour, which _lasted all night!_ This was the best Bayleef had felt ever since Millie Moneybags arrived. Then Leafeon made her even happier by saying, "If all else fails, you can live with me and Daisy." Bayleef hugged and thanked her. But she said, "But I still love Neil, even if he doesn't love me anymore." Sylveon said, "And I'm sure he loves you, too. But we will help you through this. If Neil doesn't see the error of his ways, you can live with me and Peach, or Leafeon and Daisy. We won't mind one way or the other." Bayleef had mixed feelings when they left. Her new friends loved her like a sister, amd she couldn't choose one over the other, could she? But they said they wouldn't mind one way or the other. Leafeon was a grass type, but Sylveon seemed a little nicer and softer. She was happy that they were willing to take her in, but she was sad that she had to pick one over the other. Picking neither meant she had to go back to that terrible orphanage. Bayleef began to cry. Why was life so hard? Soon, the sun rose, and the rain stopped. Bayleef rushed to get back in her chain before getting caught, and she succeeded.

 _This is really sad! Not only is Neil hard-set on marrying Millie Moneybags, Bayleef's old enemies have come all the way from Marion Town for the sake of abusing her! At first, Charizard and Grovyle were comforting her, but now they've been prohibited from being anywhere near her!_ _However, Sylveon and Leafeon have_ not _, so they're freely able to comfort Bayleef_. _And also,_ _they had a good time playing in the_ _rain, anand they're willing to stop the wedding! But can Bayleef decide whom she wants to live with, in case Neil marries Millie anyway?_

 _Please review._


	31. Operation: Stop the Wedding!

Friday morning...

The Marion Town elders had finished writing the prenuptial agreements. They showed them to Millie, who read them intently, and then snickered sinisterly as she signed them. Then they covered them up before they brought them to Neil, telling him, "You sign here to marry Millie Moneybags." In excitement, he signed then without thinking. And then Millie took him by the hand and said, "Come on, Neil. We have a kajillion things to do today. A routine blood test, a drug test..." and all sorts of tests. Meanwhile, the elders did something to Bayleef that they hadn't done ever since arriving at Neil's house: they actually fed her! However, it was the same icky, disgusting slop they fed her at the orphanage. They said, "You're gonna eat this, and you're gonna like it!" However, unlike many other times prior, Bayleef actually didn't mind the foul taste; she ate it up like there was no tomorrow! She had only eaten a little grass since her friends had been taken away, so she had been starving! She happily thanked the elders for feeding her, and as usual, they blew their stack and yelled at her. When one of them tried to punch her, she dodged and he hit another elder in the knee. That elder punched him back, and a brawl ensued. Bayleef took advantage of that, going out the front door (and Growlithe sneaking behind her). There, they met Sylveon and Leafeon, who were planning to stop the wedding. Growlithe asked, "Who's that?" As Leafeon introduced herself, Charizard and Grovyle showed up, saying, "We're here to help stop the wedding." Sylveon and Leafeon were glad to have some extra help. Bayleef said worriedly, "You'll get in trouble! You're not supposed to be around me!" But Charizard and Grovyle said, "Our parents will reward us when we're done. They'll see we were right." So Bayleef allowed them to join Sylveon and Leafeon. Just then, a van pulled up, Growlithe ran up to it, and two men got out and asked him, "What's your problem?" Growlithe answered, "I've been having trouble going. I can go #1 easy, but #2 is like I'm stuck." "What have you been eating?" "Table scraps." "Ahh, that's the problem. Here, have some of this." It was the latest high-fiber Pokémon food, and it came in several different flavors. Growlithe downed that food like Bayleef had downed her slop. Then the other Pokémon covered their noses; Growlithe took a massive dump. Bayleef, Sylveon, and Leafeon said, "Really? Right out in the open? Right in front of us?" But Growlithe had already run into the van and found some blood samples. The van was actually a pet ambulance. The doctors said, "No! Put that back! That's a blood sample from a rabid Lycanroc!" Growlithe had "the most scathingly brilliant idea! Millie said she was having a blood test...Follow me, everypony!" Sylveon said, "Oh, you watch My Little Pony, too." Bayleef, Charizard, and Leafeon groaned, "We _hate_ My Little Pony!" Nevertheless, all the Pokémon ran to the Palm Town General Hospital. There, Growlithe found Millie Moneybags' blood sample, poured it into the sink, put Lycanroc's sample in it, and put it back. Charizard commended Growlithe, "That was beautiful." Growlithe licked him in appreciation. They watched as the doctor examined what he thought was Millie's blood sample. He gasped when he saw the rabies viruses. "Milton, Charlie, bring Millie Moneybags right in ASAP!" And so they did.

Meanwhile, Millie was at the bank throwing a party to celebrate her engagement to Neil, "this remarkable young man!" The party was at its merriest when Milton and Charlie burst into the party and took Millie away. She screeched, "Get your hands off me!" They replied, "You have rabies. We need to get you to the hospital." "I don't have rabies!" "The blood test blatantly shows otherwise." "I'm telling you..." "We have our orders." Neil chased after them, saying, "Nooo! Don't take my Millie away!" He got in his car and followed them _all the way to the hospital!_ And he followed them all the way to her hospital room. They handcuffed her to her bed to keep her from escaping, but Neil immediately went to her side, and they could not keep him away. He said, "I don't care if you do have rabies, I am still going to marry you, and nothing will keep us apart." The Pokémon outside sighed in disappointment. Growlithe muttered, "So much for that." Bayleef said, "Daddy is actually closer to her now!" Charizard said, "We'll think of something. Don't worry." Just then, they heard someone say, "I want to be remembered. I want to have the longest nose in the world." Then Sylveon said, "I have an idea!" Leafeon said, "Put the orders in Millie's bin?" Sylveon said, "Bingo!" And so they waited until no one was watching, and then they switched the orders. Bayleef snickered, "You guys are bad! That was the most cruel, rotten, disgusting idea ever, and I LOVE IT!!!! There's _no_ way Daddy will marry Millie now!" And they all laughed.

Just then, Neil's friend Kid went into Millie's room and told him, "You know, I haven't seen you with Bayleef in about a week. You used to take her everywhere with you, and you never do anymore." Neil replied, "I'm getting married tomorrow. I want to be with Millie for the rest of my life." "But that doesn't man you should cut Bayleef out of your life. She really misses you. I can tell. My Venusaur was very sad when I left him with Sherry for a week. When I got back with him, he tackled me to the ground and licked me all over." Neil sighed, "Maybe you're right." Then the doctors came and told him, "We need to test your fiancée further. We can't find any bite marks on her, so we're covering all bases." And they took Millie to another room. Neil stepped outside, and was surprised to see Bayleef with her friends Charizard, Grovyle, Sylveon, and Leafeon, _and Growlithe!_ He stuttered, "W-w-w-w-what are y-y-y-you d-d-d-doing here? Bayleef, you're supposed to be in your room! You're grounded for being rude to Millie..." Growlithe interrupted him, "She was _NOT_ being rude! She was polite, sweet, and nice! **Millie** was the one being mean! She brought those thugs from the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon to torture Bayleef! I overheard her telling her friends on Monday night! They even tortured me. _And that's the truth! And they are **not** getting away with this!!_" And all their friends agreed as well. Neil then thought, " _I've_ **_never_** _heard Growlithe agree with Bayleef on **anything.**_ _And with Charizard, Grovyle, Sylveon, and Leafeon all agreeing, I'm starting to have second thoughts about Millie Moneybags. How much of her do I really know? If **everyone** is agreeing that Millie is bad, maybe I shouldn't marry her. I'll get more information at lunch._" Then he said, "Come on, Bayleef. You and your friends are coming with me to Olive Garden. Charizard roared in delight. That was his favorite restaurant! The other Pokémon were also happy. They all got in Neil's car and headed for Olive Garden.

At Olive Garden, there was a special on all-you-can-eat pasta, which Neil ordered. Growlithe and Grovyle shared a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, as did Sylveon and Leafeon; but Bayleef ate three bowls herself, and Charizard ate _thirty_ bowls (yes, _thirty!_ ) himself! While they were eating, Neil asked, "Why do all of you think Millie Moneybags is bad?" Bayleef was the first to reply. "Because she said all those mean things to me, ruined my room with unicorns, yelled at me for being polite to her, and brought the Marion Town elders who tortured me into our home! And she hypnotized you into respecting them! And she is gonna send me back to the orphanage when she marries you!" Just as Neil was about to object, Growlithe agreed. "Yeah! I heard the whole thing. I also heard them laughing about the prenuptial agreements."

\--Flashback--

The elders laughed, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! We've got him now! We'll hide the prenuptials under a sheet of paper and Neil will think it's the authorization to marry Millie Moneybags! And he's so bubbly over her, he won't believe Bayleef when she complains about her. And once he's married, she will torment him all the days of his life, and he can _never_ divorce her. Then we'll take that reptile Bayleef, take her back to our orphanage, and what we're doing now will be a pleasant paradise compared to what we _will_ do. Heh heh heh heh heh."

\--End flashback--

Neil was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Bayleef said, "Well, believe it. I also overheard them. I told these wonderful Pokémon, and they were so nice as to listen to me, unlike Quilava and Croconaw." Neil started having flashbacks. He relived every time Bayleef complained about Millie. He relived all the times he'd disregarded her complaints. He relived the time she warned him about the abusive elders, and he actually hit her. Then he imagined all the abuse she must have gone through. He broke down in tears and whispered, "What have I done?" And Sylveon said, "We had a wonderful time playing in the rain last night." Leafeon added, "Yeah, and we even offered to help stop the wedding." Neil stopped crying and said, "What wedding? There's gonna be no wedding! No Pokémon abuser is my wife! I'm going back and telling her it's all over!" And everyone cheered on hearing that, and none more so than Bayleef! She thought, " _Neil still loves me! And now there's no way he's gonna marry Millie!_ " and she shed a few happy tears. So everyone finished their spaghetti, Neil paid the bill, and they all went back to the hospital.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, a doctor noticed the nose job order in Millie's bin, but he noticed that the order was for Gerald Van Dyke. He asked another doctor, "How did this get put in Millie's bin?" She answered, "I don't know, but it reminds me of _Problem Child 2_ where Junior switched the doctor's orders so LaWanda would get the long nose." "Well, switch them back! No movie it's gong to dictate life here at the hospital!" And so they did. And Millie just came back from her further testing, and she did not have rabies at all. Someone had tampered with her blood sample, and the doctors were going to find out who. Just then, Neil and the Pokémon showed up. "Can I see Millie now?" But they said, "The strangest thing happened. We tested her further, and she doesn't have rabies at all. Someone tampered with her blood sample!" Growlithe then spoke up. "I did it." The doctors gasped. "You caused so much trouble for us and for Millie Moneybags!" Neil said, "He was trying to stop me from marrying her. And so were my daughter Bayleef and her friends." Millie heard that and said, "You really should give them a good beating for this!" Neil replied, "No, Millie. They did right. It is over between us. Bayleef was right about you! I know you've been torturing my little girl! And I will not allow this to go on any longer! In fact, you are no longer welcome in my house! And you can take your fellow elders with you!" Millie retorted, "This is no way to treat others!" But Neil wouldn't budge. He checked Millie out of the hospital, led her and the Pokémon to his car (but only five Pokémon could fit in the back; Neil never carried Pokéballs, so Charizard offered to just fly behind him), and headed for Neil's house.

Once they got to Neil's house, Charizard went to Mario's house to relieve himself of the thirty bowls of spaghetti he'd eaten, and Neil told the Marion Town elders, "It's time for you to leave." They wouldn't budge. "Young man, never say that to your elders!" Neil then said, "I said get out! I will no longer allow you to torment my daughter or her friends!" Millie tried her seductive tone, telling Neil, "Everyone knows you have to respect your elders." But this time, it _didn't even come close to working!!_ "Millie, these are glaring exceptions to that rule! They tormented my little girl, and **_NO ONE_** _gets away with that!!!_ " The elders rose up as one, and they said, "We are your elders. We are automatically entitled to the utmost of respect and obedience!" Neil said, "All of you, get out of my house, **_now!_** " No one would budge. Neil said, "If you don't leave, I will have you all arrested for trespassing!" Uncle Stone took the hint; he got all his possessions and got out of there as fast as he could, with Growlithe in hot pursuit. But no one else even budged, so Neil called the cops. The elders tried to stop him, even beating the other Pokemon out of the way, but Charizard came in the front door and started beating up on the elders, because he recognized them from the Marion Town Pokémon Orphanage. Soon, a host of Officer Jennys came and arrested Millie and the elders. As they were being arrested, the elders screamed, " ** _NOOOOO!!!!!!! YOU SHOULD BE BACKING US UP!!!!! PERMISSIVE LEADERS ARE THE RUIN OF SOCIETY!!!!!! CHILDREN SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO RESPECT THEIR ELDERS!!!!!!!_** " Millie ranted and raved, "I hate Pokémon! They ruin everything! If I had enough power, I'd wipe them off the face of the earth!"

After Millie and the elders were gone, Bayleef smiled and said, "Thank you all! Thank you for being with me through this terrible week." Leafeon and Sylveon groaned, "We were only with you yesterday." Grovyle and Charizard said, "It was our pleasure! We don't care if we get in trouble with our parents; this was the right thing to do." Then Neil and the Pokémon shared a group hug. Just then, Mario and Ella entered the house and called for Charizard and Grovyle to " ** _GET OVER HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!!!!!_** " They did, the smiles not leaving their faces. Mario and Ella said, "Wipe that smile off your face, or I'll wipe it off for you!" Neil then said, "No, you won't!" Then Mario and Ella turned sorrowfully to Neil. Mario said, "Oh, Neil. We are so sorry. We tried to stop them." Ella said, "We will do whatever it takes to make it up to you." Neil answered, "Then you can unground Charizard and Grovyle. They, along with Sylveon and Leafeon (and Growlithe), opened my eyes to see Millie Moneybags for the sleaze she truly is, and they saved me from an abusive relationship, and they comforted my Bayleef when she needed it!" Mario and Ella's expressions immediately changed from anger to pride of their Pokémon. They took Charizard and Grovyle home, bragging on them all they way. Then Peach and Daisy came and picked up Sylveon and Leafeon, and when Neil told them what they did, they bragged on them as they took them home. Then Neil gave Bayleef a big hug, and he told her, "Oh, Bayleef, I am _really, really_ sorry. You were _completely_ right, and I was completely wrong. I am really sorry I didn't listen to you. I am _not_ marrying Millie Moneybags. I can't. Not after what she and her 'pet sitters' did. I am going to make it up to you. I promise. For an entire month, you can do whatever you want. You can watch as much TV as you want, swim as much as you want, sleep as late as you want, eat as much as you want, etc." Bayleef hughed Neil tightly with her forelegs _and_ vines, and licked him in happy appreciation." "Thank you so much, Daddy! I love you so much!" "I love you too, sweetheart!" Then, it began to rain, and Bayleef ran outside to play in it. "You too, Daddy!" And Neil got in his swimming trunks, and they ran outside, and they had a great time playing in the torrential downpour.

 _All right! Things are now turning around for Bayleef and her friends! Neil now has seen Millie for who she really is! And he_ _has taken action, kicking Millie and the Marion Town elders out of his life._ _Also, he is making it up to Bayleef in a very big way. The next chapter will give you more details on how he is making it up to her._

 _Please review_. _Have you ever been in a situation like this, when your parents realized you were right all along?_


	32. Restoration and Friendship

Author's note: This chapter ends the similarities of this story to the Problem Child movies.

The next morning,

Neil woke up, brushed his teeth, and went into the kitchen, finding Bayleef's biggest bowl, and he poured Pokémon food into it. "My daughter is gonna be so happy when she sees this much of her favorite Pokémon food. I'm gonna serve her breakfast in bed!" He then entered her room and saw that she was still asleep. He sighed, "She looks so peaceful. I'll just put this at the end of her bed." So he did, and he stayed there until she awoke, which didn't happen for quite a while. An hour after fixing her breakfast, Neil thought, "Oh, right. She has been sleeping on the hard stone patio in the backyard for almost a week. Her nice, soft bed must feel wonderful after sleeping on hard rock." So he decided to just let her sleep in.

\-- Flashback --

"Okay, Bayleef. It's bedtime." It was half past midnight. "You must be feeling tired," said Neil. Bayleef was; she was fast asleep. He picked her up and put her in her bed. She awoke and said, "Daddy, why are all those unicorns in here?" Neil replied, "I'll take them out. Tomorrow, I'll turn your room back into the jungle paradise it was." Bayleef sighed happily, "Ahhhh, a soft bed." Neil replied, "Oh, you've been sleeping on hard ground for a week. Enjoy your soft bed." Bayleef got up and kissed him. "Good night, Daddy." He kissed her back. "Good night, sweetheart." Neil couldn't get Bayleef's happy smile out of his head, and he couldn't resist petting her. Then he went to bed, happy that his little girl was happy again.

\-- End Flashback --

Then Neil fell asleep in front of Bayleef's bed. At 10:39, he was awakened by Bayleef's voice. "Morning, Daddy. Whoa, that's a lot of food!" she said. Neil said, "Well, my little girl deserves a huge breakfast, especially after all she went through." Bayleef giggled, and then began to eat. Neil was amazed at how quickly she was eating! In one minute, she had picked her bowl clean, and it had contained _twice_ as much as he normally fed her! And she was _still_ hungry when she was done! Neil asked, "After eating all that food? How can you still be hungry?" Bayleef answered, "The elders only fed me one bowl of slop all week, yesterday morning! Of course, Charizard did feed me a couple nights, but it wasn't enough to fully satisfy my hunger. Then he got taken away and I ate only a little grass during that storm the other night." Neil then said, "Okay, I'll feed you until you're full." So he did, and she ate _six big bowls_ of food before filling up (Neil also provided water for her). Then he asked, "What do you want to do today?" Bayleef answered, "I want my room to be a jungle again!" "Okay, let's get to work. You can go over to Mario and Charizard while I turn your room back into the jungle it once was." She cheered. But then she said, "I want to help you fix my room up." Neil sighed, "You're such a good girl." So they went out, found jungle decor, and redecorated Bayleef's room; however, it wasn't the same as before. Bayleef still _loved_ it. Then she said, "I gotta go potty." Neil then allowed her to go. While she was in the bathroom, he put her toy dinosaurs on the floor next to her bed. When Bayleef saw them, she hugged and kissed Neil, thanking him for her toys.

Mario and Charizard then came to the door and rang the doorbell. Neil answered the door, and he was surprised to see Charizard _**and Sylveon** _with Mario! But Bayleef was so happy to see Charizard that she jumped up and down. Neil asked Mario, "What are you doing here?" Mario answered, "I promised-a Charizard-a he could have anything-a he wanted. And what-a he wanted-a was a week over with-a Bayleef. And-a besides-a, Princess-a Peach has-a been kidnapped, and-a I have to rescue her!" Sylveon agreed. "I just hope Mario rescues my mom ASAP!" Neil then said, "Knowing him, he will. And even if he doesn't, I will take good care of you both while she's gone." Then Sylveon cheered up, and she and Charizard entered the house, but not before Mario hugged and kissed Charizard goodbye. "I'll miss you," they told each other tearfully. But then Charizard cheered right up at the sight of Bayleef. Neil then said, "So, little monsters, what do you want to do?" They all said, "Let's go swimming!" So Neil changed into his swim trunks and jumped into his pool, with all three Pokémon following suit. They were all having a great time when it began to rain hard. Fortunately, as usual, there was no lightning, so they all kept swimming. Then Charizard went over to the hot tub and got in. Bayleef and Sylveon also got in, and Neil turned on the water jets. But, soon Bayleef complained. "The rain is so cold!" Although it was no colder than usual, the hot water in the hot tub made the rain seem very cold. Sylveon didn't like it either, but Charizard loved the contrasting temperatures. "It keeps the body guessing." Neil just laughed and asked, "Want to get back in the cold pool?" The girls immediately got back in the pool, but Charizard waited until the water jet timer ran out. Then he got a blindfold and wanted to play Marco Polo. They all had great fun, despite the torrential rain. Then they had a breath-holding contest under the water (Charizard won, holding his breath for _two hours_ , while Sylveon and Bayleef lasted twenty minutes). Then Sylveon decided to just run and roll around on the grass in the rain. Meanwhile, Bayleef and Charizard kept swimming in the pool. Soon, Neil couldn't believe his eyes. Bayleef and Charizard were hugging in the water! With a sweet, tender voice, Charizard said, "You know, Bayleef, there's something you need to know. I love you." Her eyes widened. He actually _loved_ her! She then stammered, "I-I love you, t-too!" He said, "Ever since we were only Charmander and Chikorita, it was love at first sight."

\-- Flashback --

Charmander had just finished dusting the furniture in the living room of the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon. He stood back, admiring his work, when suddenly the sound of crying caught his attention. He turned around, and lying on the rug was a little Chikorita, severely bruised, crying from the severe beating she had received earlier. But he never saw the tears or the bruises. All he saw was a beautiful little girl, and he sighed amorously. It was love at first sight. But it was interrupted by the elders, who chewed him out for being lazy and leaving the furniture filthy (although it was actually clean and shiny) and gave him a severe beating.

\-- End flashback --

Then, Bayleef's and Charizard's faces approached each other, and they shared a kiss. Neil gasped; he didn't expect his Pokédaughter's first kiss to come _this_ early! He then took a picture and texted it to Mario. Sylveon applauded. Bayleef and Charizard turned toward her; and when they saw her, they burst into laughter. She was covered in mud all over her body! Fortunately, the rain lasted long enough for her to wash the mud off. Then they went inside to have dinner (spaghetti and meatballs). After dinner, Mario texted Neil, saying, "I can't believe I missed my son's first kiss!" Mario had just defeated a stage boss and was resting for a while before beginning Stage 2. Meanwhile, Charizard and Sylveon were very worried about Mario and Peach. While Bayleef was playing with her toys, they were hugging and whimpering. Would they ever see Mario and Peach again? Bayleef overheard them, and she said, "If they never come back, you can live with me." Sylveon giggled, remembering the offer she made to live with her before they thwarted Neil's wedding with Millie Moneybags Just then, the doorbell rang, and Neil answered the door. It was Bowser's Blastoise and Umbreon. "Hey, you wanna see my cannons?" asked Blastoise. Umbreon then gasped. "Is that you, former master?"

\-- Flashback --

When Neil was still a young Pokémon trainer, he came upon a severely beaten Eevee, who was crying his eyes out from the pain, and shaking in terror. Neil felt terrible for that poor little Eevee, so he decided to take him in and nurse him back to health. Neil then decided to find his original trainer, but Eevee screamed in terror. "NOOOOOO!!!!! THEY'LL BEAT ME, AND I'LL DIE!!!" Neil then asked, "What do they look like?" After Eevee described them, Neil shook in anger. That sounded like Team Elder! Neil then decided to take him in. He trained him for a while, but It was obvious Eevee was reluctant to connect with Neil. He eventually found a trainer with whom he did connect. It was Bowser, who didn't actually "train" him. Well, he did house train him and teach him some tricks; but he didn't use him for battle, but rather as a pet. They would cuddle on the couch, go for walks, Bowser would pet him, stuff of that nature. Despite not being in any battles, he made the connection with Bowser and befriended Bowser's other Pokemon. Most of them were jealous that he never had to battle, but a Squirtle taught him some moves, should the need arise.

\-- End flashback --

Neil was surprised. He hadn't seen him for years. Umbreon then said, "This is Blastoise." Blastoise then said, "See, it says on my shell, Blas-toise." It was branded on the shell. Umbreon continued, "Bowser dropped us off and he said, 'Whoever answers the door will be your new temporary caretaker while I'm gone.'" Neil answered, "So that's what that sticky note says." Blastoise said, "It says I'm a good boy." Umbreon, irritated, said, "Read it. It says 'Please babysit.'" Blastoise insisted, "It says I'm a good boy!" Then Bayleef came, wondering what the commotion was. "Blastoise? Umbreon?" Umbreon said, "Bowser dropped us off here. Actually, he dropped us off outside the neighborhood, and we just happened to wander to your house." Blastoise said, "Duhhhhhhh." Sylveon then said, "Bayleef said if our owners don't come for us, we can live with her!" Blastoise and Umbreon cheered. Charizard was upset at first, but then he remembered how much he loved Bayleef, and he cheered even louder than Blastoise and Umbreon. Bayleef was so happy to hear him cheering that she cheered herself. Then, they all shared a group hug. Umbreon then said, "You touched my paw, Sylveon, you sly devil." She growled in exasperation, "Umbreon!" The others laughed. Then they all went to Bayleef's room to play with her toys until bath time. Neil bathed each Pokémon separately, rolling dice to decide the order (Umbreon, Charizard, Sylveon, Blastoise, and Bayleef). Then they resumed playtime until midnight, which was bedtime. Neil fixed up the guest room for the boy Pokémon (Charizard, Blastoise, and Umbreon), while the girl Pokémon (Bayleef and Sylveon) slept in Bayleef's room. Bayleef was so happy to have friends that she didn't mind sharing her bed with Sylveon, and Charizard was kind enough to sleep on the floor so Blastoise and Umbreon could have the bed. However, they wanted him to sleep on the bed with him, so he agreed. Everyone said their goodnights. Neil read them bedtime stories, and then he tucked them all in. Then he went to bed thinking, " _I'd better not get used to this. Mario, Peach, and Bowser could come back any minute._ "

 _It looks like Bayleef's life is taking an interesting turn. Not only is Neil giving her special privileges, but also two of her best friends are staying with her for a while (as well as two not-so-good friends). And Charizard has officially declared his love for her!_

 _Please review._


	33. Poké Beans and Rain

The next morning,

Neil and the Pokémon in his house (Bayleef, Charizard, Sylveon, Blastoise, and Umbreon) were all eating breakfast. Bayleef, Sylveon, and Umbreon had medium-sized bowls; and Charizard and Blastoise had _huge_ bowls. But Sylveon didn't even touch her Pokémon food. She was too sad and worried to eat. Charizard said, "You need to eat too keep your strength up." Sylveon cried, "I'm too worried about my Mom! What if I never see her again?!" and she broke down sobbing. Umbreon then cuddled with her, trying to soothe her, but she drew away in disgust. Bayleef pitied her. "Poor Sylveon," she said. "She doesn't care that I offered to let her stay with me." Sylveon retorted, "Of course I care! But if _you_ suddenly lost _your_ mother, _you'd_ do the same thing!" Bayleef then realized that Sylveon was right, and she hugged her, apologized for the misunderstanding, and cried with her. And Charizard was also worried; although Bayleef was the love of his life, he still loved Mario and wanted him to come back. Blastoise and Umbreon didn't feel that way; Blastoise was _completely_ ignorant of what was happening, and Umbreon clung to a hope that Bowser would come back for him.

\-- Flashback --

Bowser said, "I'll always be there for you, Umbreon."

\-- End flashback --

That statement alone was enough to cheer Umbreon up. Bowser had always come back for him previously, and there was no way he'd break the pattern. He then tried to console Sylveon with the same assurance. "Peach has never left you, has she?" "No," sniffled Sylveon. "She'll come back for you," he reassured. It was all she could do to avoid using Dazzling Gleam on him. " _YOUR father kidnapped her!!_ " she bellowed. Umbreon then got scared. "Please don't hurt me! It wasn't my idea! My father just up and dropped us off here! You were brave enough to follow Charizard here and explain everything!" Sylveon would have hit him, but Neil ran over and said, "Hey, no fighting!" Umbreon said, "Yes, sir," but Sylveon retorted, "His father kidnapped my mother!" "It wasn't his fault," Neil said (Sylveon knew he was referring to Umbreon). Sylveon then began to cry her eyes out. " **MOMMY!!! WHERE ARE YOU??!?** " Neil hugged her and said, "Mario will rescue her. Just stay calm and relax," but Sylveon wouldn't stop crying. She cried and cried and cried, until the crying was all spent. Then she said, "That's funny; I feel better." And then she felt hungry. She asked, "Do you still have that Pokémon food?" Neil did, and Sylveon ate. She said, "I guess all I needed was a good cry." Although she did feel better now that she'd eaten, she was still worried about Peach, and she would be until Peach returned, and who knew when that would be?

Just then, Ella and Grovyle came to the door. Neil answered and said, "Ella, great to see you again! And little Grovyle!" Grovyle angrily replied, "I'm not little!" Ella said, "I brought over some Poké Beans for Bayleef!" Neil replied, "How many?" Fortunately, there were enough Poké Beans for her, Grovyle, Charizard, Sylveon, Umbreon, and Blastoise. Neil decided to wait until lunch to feed them the beans. Until then, Grovyle, Bayleef, Charizard, and Blastoise all went swimming; and Umbreon and Sylveon patiently waited for Peach and Bowser to return for them. At lunchtime, Neil and Ella served all the Pokémon Poké Beans, filling each bowl accordingly. Bayleef and Charizard _fell head over tail in love_ with Poké Beans! That became their new favorite food! They began eating them like there was no tomorrow! Sylveon, Umbreon, and Grovyle liked them just like any other food (eating them just like any other food); but Blastoise _detested_ them! On the first bite, he spat it out and screamed, " ** _I...HATE...POKÉ...BEANS!!!!!!!_** " and he threw his bowl across the room! Charizard, not wanting then to go to waste, picked them all off the floor and ate them. While they were eating, Bayleef got an idea. "Why don't we plant some of them and start a Poké Bean farm?" Neil liked the idea, and asked Ella about planting Poké Beans. She said, "I'll look it up and come back to you on it." And then she laughed. "Just kidding." And then, she taught him how to plant Poké Beans. Neil wrote the instructions down. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Bayleef and Charizard pigging out on the beans. Then they said, "More, please!" So Neil refilled their bowls, and they resumed eating. Meanwhile, Sylveon, Umbreon, and Grovyle finished their bowls and came up to thank Neil and Ella for them. Bayleef and Charizard just kept eating (they ** _really loved_** Poké Beans). Bayleef ended up eating two bowls of Poké Beans, and Charizard ate _four bowls_ of them.Then Ella left Neil fifteen Poké Beans (one plain in each color, one patterned in each color, and one Rainbow Bean), took Grovyle, and went home. Umbreon and Sylveon went out into the backyard to wait for their owners, Blastoise withdrew into his shell to take a nap, and Bayleef and Charizard went out into the backyard to run around and play.

Eventually, Bayleef and Charizard got familiar feelings in their intestines. Bayleef ran inside and used the bathroom, and Charizard flew all the way over the ocean (thinking no toilet could hold his impending...you know what; he had not gone to the bathroom all day since the day before). He flew to the horizon, far enough away to ensure no one could see him, but close enough to keep from being lost at sea. He saw how far away the beach was, but he could still see it; so he dove under the water, made sure no sharks or Sharpedoes could get him, and let loose. Then he surfaced, sighed with _huge_ relief, and smiled from ear to ear. The relief was so huge, he actually laughed. He was so happy to be relieved that he decided to swim around for a while, occasionally checking to see if he want drifting out to sea. However, his fun was cut short when he noticed the sky. It was _covered_ with black clouds, meaning bad weather was imminent. He flew back to Neil's house as quickly as he could. When he got back, he noticed something strange. Umbreon, Sylveon, and Blastoise were gone! Bayleef then met him and told him what had happened.

\-- Flashback --

Bowser's Clown Copter had landed in Neil's backyard. Bowser and Peach jumped out, _very_ much to the excitement of Umbreon and Sylveon. They shouted happily as they ran toward their trainers. Sylveon jumped into Peach's arms, but Umbreon suddenly stopped. He had to get Blastoise. He ran inside and found him sound asleep. He tried pouncing on him to awaken him, but it didn't work. He then used Dark Pulse, and that worked. Blastoise grumbled, "Hey, what'd you do that for? I was having a good nap!" Umbreon replied, "Bowser's back!" That was enough to get him to join him in the backyard. Bowser then said, "I'm gonna throw Mario off; I'm dropping Peach off here. Mario will never realize Peach isn't in trouble anymore." Peach then whispered, "I never was. I can't wait to see Mario's face when he finds out!" Then they laughed hysterically. Umbreon then asked, "Why are you both laughing?" Peach answered, "The kidnapping was a joke. Bowser never was _really_ gonna kidnap me like all those times previously." Umbreon and Blastoise laughed with them, but Sylveon was not the least bit amused. She was furious! She bellowed at the top of her lungs, " ** _I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!! MOM, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!???!?_** " Peach answered, "We were just having fun." Sylveon retorted, " ** _THERE IS NOTHING FUN ABOUT KIDNAPPING!!!!! I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!!!!_** " and she collapsed into Peach's arms, wailing her eyes out. " ** _WAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!_** " Then Peach realized how much she had distressed--and hurt--her Pokédaughter. With a truly remorseful face, she apologized to Sylveon, promising that she would never play that joke again (and Bowser also promised that). Sylveon then cheered up, and Bowser and Peach parted ways and went home, but not before bidding Bayleef farewell.

\-- End flashback --

Charizard was excited to hear that! "I must call Father!" So he borrowed Neil's cellphone and notified Mario that Peach was all right, that Bowser had dropped her off, and that the kidnapping was a joke. Mario then said, "WHAAAAT?!?" Charizard then said, "But they promised never to do that again, thanks to Sylveon's reaction. She cried her eyes out." Mario then trusted Peach and decided to take her kidnappings seriously. But for now he was going home, but Charizard still had six days left with Bayleef. When he hung up, Neil, having noticed the black sky, used his phone to check the weather. Indeed, a massive rainstorm was coming, bringing torrential rain that was expected to last for days. Fortunately, no lightning was expected, and winds were not that strong. Neil then said, "Charizard, I hope you like rain." Charizard said, "We'll see." Then they went outside and saw a very sad Bayleef staring at the black sky. Neil asked, "What's the matter, sweetheart?" She answered, "Dark skies without rain, like this, always depress me." Neil said, "Well, it's going to rain... _a whole lot_ _...for days._ " Bayleef then said, "I wouldn't be surprised. The sky looks like it did back at the Marion Town Orphanage when Charizard and I were locked outside in a hailstorm!" Charizard then said, "Of course, we were only Chikorita and Charmeleon at the time."

\-- Flashback --

The elders laughed as they dragged Chikorita _by her leaf_ outside into a brewing storm. The wind was picking up, thunder was rumbling, and it was already raining. They threw her outside and locked the door. She banged on the door, screaming to be let back in, but they walked over to the other Pokémon and said, "Any who object to what we did can join her outside!" Charmeleon quickly objected, so they threw him outside in the storm as well. No one else objected, so they got to stay inside in the relative safety of the orphanage, while Chikorita and Charmeleon were at the mercy of the storm. He covered her body with his as the hail began to fall. He was battered badly, and she also got battered a little; but when the storm ended, she was fine, but he could barely move. But the elders would _still_ not let them come back in. Chikorita ended up spending the entire night nursing Charmeleon the best way she could, being only four years old at the time.

\-- End flashback --

Then the rain began to fall...very hard. Bayleef cheered right up when the rain hit her; and because it was warm tropical rain, even Charizard cheered up. Neil ran inside to get some towels, and then sat on the back porch and enjoyed the sight of his Pokédaughter and her best friend happily playing in the rain. He knew they'd have to be careful...the rain was falling at three inches per hour!! That was the heaviest rain any of them had ever experienced. Bayleef said, "It is raining so hard!" Charizard said, "Look at this!" They laughed and said, "And here we are, outside playing in it!" During the intense rainstorm, Bayleef and Charizard got in the pool and played "Dunk, Dunk, Kiss," a game Charizard had found on DeviantArt (link: https/c-studios/art/Dunk-Dunk-Kiss-625714972). Bayleef was trying to avoid being dunked, but Charizard was a much better swimmer than Bayleef, and he easily won. Then he let Bayleef be the dunker, and of course he outlasted her.

Just then, Croconaw showed up, having gotten Gene's permission to go swimming with Bayleef. She said, "What's up, guys?" Bayleef answered, "Dunk, Dunk, Kiss." Croconaw was **_so_** excited to hear that (she had a big crush on Charizard), and she wanted to play, too. Bayleef and Charizard remembered how badly she'd treated them previously, but they decided to forgive her and allow her to play with them. However, Croconaw was a **_much_** better swimmer than either of them, being a water type, and she easily won. Imagine her delight when she was chosen as the dunker. She easily dunked Charizard, and she kissed him, much to Bayleef's dismay. She thought, " _Oh no! Croconaw's trying to take Charizard away from me. What am I gonna do?_ " Charizard then said, "Oooh, you are quite the kisser, Croconaw!" Bayleef swam over to her and said, "Stay away from my man, sister!" Neil ran into the downpour and said, "Girls, stop that fighting!" Bayleef donned a sad face, but Croconaw protested, "She interrupted my quality time with Charizard!" Charizard protested, "We're only seven!" Neil answered, "Then what are you doing kissing at this age? Who knows how far you'll go with each other? I don't want you going that far until you're married." Bayleef said, "Okay, Daddy." Croconaw protested, "Everybody does it!" to which Neil answered, "I don't, and I'm all the better for it." Croconaw muttered under her breath, "You know nothing about Pokémon breeding." Charizard then said, "I don't want to breed until I know for sure whom I'll marry." Croconaw glared at him and said, "It had _better_ be me." Charizard then said, "Not with _that_ attitude, it won't." Croconaw backed away and thought, "He didn't like my intimidating him. I'd better charm him instead." So she apologized to him in a sweet (falsely?) voice. Charizard bought it, to Bayleef's dismay. Then Croconaw walked over to Bayleef and said, "Isn't this weather crazy?" Bayleef said, "Yeah! Come on, let's warm up in the hot tub!" So they did, and Croconaw said, "I'm sorry I didn't help you against Millie Moneybags. I heard what happened." Bayleef happily said, "I forgive you. Friends again?" Croconaw said, "What do you mean again?" Charizard, staying in the big pool (don't worry, Neil was watching), growled, "I sense a Betty and Veronica friendship, and I do _not_ want to be Archie." Neil answered, "Don't worry, you're much too strong to be Archie. You'd be more like Moose." Insulted, Charizard retorted, "Blastoise is Moose! His favorite animal is a lily pad!" Neil then said, "Just be yourself, and everything will work out in the end. You like Bayleef, and she likes you, right?" Charizard answered, "Right." "And you might not marry her when you get older; you might find someone else. There are lots of fish in the sea." Charizard got the message. But for now, Bayleef was his best friend, and he didn't want that to change.

Just then, Gene called Croconaw home for dinner, and Charizard asked if Croconaw could eat with him and Bayleef. Gene, however, said no. Neil dried off Bayleef and Charizard and fed them dinner. It was fruit-flavored Pokémon food, so Bayleef and Charizard wouldn't overstuff themselves like they did on the Poké Beans at lunch. And it worked. Bayleef and Charizard enjoyed each other's company as they poured Bayleef's food into Charizard's bowl. Then they both ate out of it at the same time. However, Bayleef didn't eat very much; she was still full from lunch. Charizard, on the other hand, finished the bowl, and he wanted dessert. So Neil gave them both Poképuffs, but Bayleef didn't take hers. Neil then put it in the fridge and asked, "Are you all right, sweetheart?" She answered, "Daddy, I need to speak to you in private." So she took Neil to her room and whispered, "I'm scared. Croconaw was kissing my boyfriend, and he liked it!" So he told her what he'd told Charizard: she didn't know for sure she'd marry him in the future, and there are plenty of fish in the sea. "But Daddy, I love him!" "I know. But eventually, you may find someone else you love better. It happens all the time. I want you to pull back. Just be best friends with him." Bayleef loved the sound of the words "best friends." She then said, "Can we go back outside now?" Neil said yes, bringing his swimming trunks and some Pokémon body wash so he could bathe her and Charizard in the rain; fortunately, the rain, as torrential as it was, was still warm enough to play in (and bathe in), and there was _still_ no lightning! Neil then got his own body wash and decided to shower in the rain himself. Of course, the Pokémon had other ideas. They rolled around in the mud (so Neil wouldn't allow them to swim until they were rinsed off), then they swam in the pool. Neil couldn't resist taking a video of Bayleef and Charizard having a great time swimming in the rainstorm. They went swimming until it was dark, and then Neil gave them their rain showers. Then he took his own rain shower (not removing his trunks), dried everyone off, and took Bayleef and Charizard inside for the night.

The rain was _still_ hammering Palm Town, and it was showing no signs of letting up. Could this be the Palm Town Main Rain Event, as it was commonly called? The storm lasted until it was time for Charizard to go home with Mario, and he and Bayleef spent most of their time outside in it (due to the complete lack of lightning), and they had so much fun that when it was time for Charizard to go home, Bayleef actually cried. Charizard also cried; he was sad to be leaving his best friend. "*sniff* I'll see you again, Bayleef. *sob* I promise." Bayleef cried, "I hope it's soon. *sniff* I can't stand to be away from you." Croconaw had also come over to bid him a tearful farewell. But Pikachu laughed at all of them. "Ha ha ha ha ha! We're not going way away; we all live on the same street! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Instead of taking offense, they all laughed with him (but mostly out of relief). Bayleef said, "Oh, Pikachu. That's good. Ha ha. Want to hang out sometime?" Pikachu then said, "My dad and uncles are playing in a golf tournament in Beanbean Castle Town." Neil gasped. He hadn't played in a golf tournament since moving to Palm Town! His money was surely getting low. He then said, "Get packed, Bayleef. We're going to Beanbean Castle Town to play golf." She asked, "Why can't we play golf in Palm Town?" "We won't make money there. The tournament is in Beanbean Castle Town. We must be there if we are to make enough money to make a living." That answer satisfied Bayleef. She packed her favorite toys, and soon she and her "daddy" were on their way to play in the Beanbean Castle Town golf tournament.

 _Well, Bayleef has had a lot of fun with her friends, even though Sylveon, Blastoise, and Umbreon are happy to be back with their respective trainers. Charizard had a great week with her, but now Croconaw has her eyes on him. And Bayleef is now considering befriending Pikachu. What does the future hold?_ _Will Bayleef and Croconaw become "Betty and Veronica"?_ _And how will Neil do in the Beanbean Castle Town golf tournament?_ _By the way, "Stay away from my man, sister!" came from the_ Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide _episode "Jealousy."_

 _Please review. I am open to any ideas you might have._

Edit: I made the Poké Bean scene more realistic.


	34. Golf Tournaments, and a Surprise!

Neil and Bayleef took an airplane to the Beanbean International Airport, along with Mario and Charizard, Luigi and Pikachu, Peach and Sylveon, Daisy and Leafeon, Yoshi and Dragonair (Hakuryu), Wario and Nidoking, Waluigi and Weavile, Donkey Kong and Tropius, Bowser with Blastoise and Umbreon, Gene and Grace along with Croconaw, Ella and Grovyle, Kid and Venusaur, and several others. They all met at the terminal, where the Mario Golf Tour board welcomed them. The president said, "Welcome to the Beanbean Kingdom. Most of you are here to play in the Beanbean Castle Town golf tournament. All spectators must stay in the designated spectator areas during play. The top prize is one million dollars..." and he went on and on about the rules. Eventually, he said, "I see that many of you brought your Pokémon with you. There will be a day care center for them while you play your golf." But there was a surprise...Grovyle was playing in the tournament! Everyone was very surprised to hear that, but Grovyle produced his set of small golf clubs. His mom, Ella, had ordered them online a week ago; and he had been playing with them almost nonstop. When he heard that she was going to play in a golf tournament, he wanted to do so too. However, he would be entering as an amateur--he would be receiving no monetary compensation, no matter how well he scored. Nevertheless, he was playing, just to see if he could go pro. After the president was done speaking, everyone was on their way to the Beanbean Castle Town Golf Course. Grovyle accompanied the golfers to the golfer's suites at a nearby hotel. The other Pokémon went to the day care center to watch the golf tournament on TV, play some games, hang out with each other, etc.

Grovyle was very nervous about playing in his first golf tournament. Ella told him, "Just pretend that it's just you and me. You're really good at golf. You have nothing to worry about." "But Mom, what if I lose!?" "All but one of the contestants will lose. At least you can say you played in one." "Yeah, yeah, I know; but I want to win." "Don't we all? But there can be only one. This is your first tourney, just focus on your game and see if you can just make the cut--you can focus on winning later." "But what if I win now?" "Just pretend you're the only one playing. That should take the stress away." Grovyle sighed. Then he was startled by an announcement, ** _"GROVYLE METALS TO THE FIRST TEE, PLEASE!!!!"_** Grovyle screamed in fright. He had never heard that before. Ella told him, "It's all right, son. Forget about that, and just focus on your game." So he tried to settle down, but he was far too rattled, and he topped his drive, and everyone laughed. Ella said, "Forget that one. Focus on your game. Just play your best shot from that place." It was a good thing the tournament committee allowed her to give him advice, this being his first tournament, and she being his adoptive mother. Even so, Grovyle found himself six over par for four holes. Ella tried to reassure him that he would do just fine, but he kept doing so badly that he was fourteen over at the end of nine. Then Ella took him aside and told him, "You're not playing your game, Grovyle. You're all nervous and jittery, and that's not like you. You're usually very confident, and that's the Grovyle I want to see."

Meanwhile, at the day care center, Charizard and Dragonair were laughing hysterically at Grovyle's poor performance. Charizard said, "Even I could play better than that little stink!" Dragonair then said, "You wanna bet?" Charizard roared, **_"YOU'RE ON!!!!!"_** Then Bayleef asked, "What was that?" They told her, "Charizard thinks he can play golf better than Grovyle." Bayleef scolded, "I did not like the way you laughed at him. How would you like it if someone did that to you?" Charizard gulped in guilt, but Dragonair only scoffed, "No one would do that to me. Hmph. There is nothing to laugh at me about." But Joe's Kricketune found something to laugh about. "You don't have any legs. Ha ha!" Dragonair responded by trying to beat him up, but Charizard did a great job of holding her back. Bayleef angrily stepped in to break up the fight. Charizard said, "But, Bayleef..." She interrupted, "No buts about it!" He roared, donning his Scary Face, ** _"DO NOT 'NO BUTS ABOUT IT' ME, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!!! DRAGONAIR WAS TRYING TO BEAT UP KRICKETUNE, AND I WAS HOLDING HER BACK!!!!"_** Dragonair protested, "Kricketune laughed at me!" The supervisors came over and asked what was going on, and Dragonair laughingly reported Grovyle's poor golf performance, Charizard ashamedly admitted that he had laughed at Grovyle and challenged him to a golf match. Kricketune admitted that he'd laughed at Dragonair for not having any legs. Then they explained the fight. All three of them were forbidden to watch the rest of the first round, but Bayleef watched with delight as Neil took the lead, ending the first round six under par with a two-shot lead. The next few days, the Pokémon watched the golf tournament, laughing only at the funny stuff, cheering for the good shots and groaning at the bad shots. At then end, however, Bayleef cheered while all the other Pokémon groaned; Neil was the winner, Bowser came in second, and Peach came in third (Mario fourth, Yoshi fifth, Wario sixth, Ella seventh, Luigi eighth, Kid ninth, and Gene tenth). Grovyle had missed the cut by four strokes, and he wanted to quit, but Ella told him, "If you quit now, you'll never win, or even amount to anything. You're entering the next tournament, and that's final." Grovyle signed in defeat. "I guess I'll have to start practicing." Ella patted him approvingly. "That's my boy."

The next tournament was held in Marion Town, and Neil entered the tournament, just to make Marion Town angry. And they were. They tried to boo him off the course, especially when they saw that he brought Bayleef with him; but the officials stopped them. "Bayleef, you're gonna be my caddy today." She asked, "What's a caddy do?" He answered, "She carries my bag." So she did. Neil played so well that Bayleef didn't need to help him pick his clubs. Meanwhile, Charizard had also entered the tournament as an amateur, for the purpose of playing against Grovyle. To the surprise of Grovyle and the delight of Charizard, they got paired together. Grovyle panicked at first; Charizard was outdriving him 350 to 250. But then he remembered Ella's advice to focus on his game, and he calmed down. Charizard, on the other hand, was getting frustrated with his game (never hitting the fairway, getting stuck in bunkers, falling in the water, etc.), and he found himself in last place. The townspeople cheered, happy to see one of their nemeses losing at golf, and they temporarily forgot that Neil was in the lead. However, they soon noticed that Mario and Ella were not playing in the tournament. They found them and asked them for the details. Ella told them, "We know how this town mistreats Pokémon, and we decided to have our Pokémon with us at all times. If that means skipping the tournament so they can play, so be it." Mario followed up with, "The rules of the Mario Golf Tour do not exclude Pokémon from playing, even as pros. And we have seen the ability of Pokémon to play golf very well." Ella said, "Just because Grovyle missed the cut, that doesn't make him a bad golfer. He was at the high end of those who missed the cut. Someday he'll win one." The townspeople then chased her away, or at least they tried, but Mario stopped them. Then they said, "We're sorry, Mario. We should have known better than to mistreat you like that." So Mario forgave them and left, but as soon as he left, the townspeople began to have second thoughts about idolizing him. The next day, they cheered when they learned that Charizard had missed the cut, but their happiness was short-lived when they learned that not only had Grovyle made the cut, but their archnemesis, Neil, had a commanding seven-stroke lead. When Neil won the tournament (beating second-place Yoshi by twelve strokes!), they were so angry that the police had to calm them down. A few elders refused to calm down, and they were arrested. As the police carted them off, they were complaining that Neil thought he could get away with disrespecting them. By the way, Grovyle finished above the bottom fifth (among those who had made the cut), or 38th, to be more precise.

The next tournament was in Palm Town, where Neil felt right at home (after all, he lived there!). Bayleef said, "Daddy, that was fun, letting me carry your clubs. Can I do it again?" "Sure!" Neil replied. Neil was warmly welcomed and applauded by the Palm townspeople. It was the complete opposite of Marion Town. People wanted to see Neil play golf, and nothing would stop them, not even heavy rain squalls. Bayleef was also welcomed as Neil's caddy. Neil played his usual domiating round of golf, but Mario was playing a dominant game himself. Although Neil led the tournament the first three rounds, Mario stayed within two strokes all the way. Grovyle was improving dramatically himself, staying in the top ten; and even Charizard (for whom Mario's old friend Stanley the Bugman was now caddying) was improving--he still missed the cut, but he didn't finish dead last (he finished three positions above last). In the final round, Neil was very sure of himself that he would win three tournaments in a row, and he forgot his normal mindset to always give it his all, no matter what. His pride got the best of him, and he lost two balls in the water on Hole 16, falling out of the lead. He never recovered from that, settling for pars on 17 and 18. Mario won the tournament (Neil finished second), and Neil took Bayleef aside and taught her, "This is what happens when you have a prideful spirit. You're high up, and your pride cuts you down. Let this be a lesson to you." "Okay, Daddy," she replied. Meanwhile, Charizard had flown over to the victory celebration. He was just about to give Mario a hug when he noticed Bayleef. He decided to hug her first, and then hug Mario. Mario said, "You really, _really,_ love her, don't you?" Charizard replied, "As soon as she evolves into Meganium, I might marry her." Mario asked, "What about Croconaw?" "Croconaw who?" "Croconaw Yuss! Gene and Grace's daughter!" "She'll have to evolve into Feraligatr first." Mario groaned in exasperation as Charizard continued, "And Dragonair will have to evolve into Dragonite. Of course, I evolved earlier than my friends who are around my age, so they might not have to evolve..."

The next tournament was held in Links Town, which was notorious for its difficult golf course (fast fairways, pot bunkers, and heath were it's most common hazards). However, players like Neil, Mario, and Kid were not afraid at all. In fact, they welcomed the challenge. Grovyle was happy to be improving, but he was concerned about the difficulty of the course. Nevertheless, Ella persuaded him to enter the tournament. While he was playing, he was surprised and delighted by how far his ball rolled on the fast fairways. He figured out how to use them to his advantage, and imagine his shock at the end of the first round--he saw that he was actually _in the lead!_ He then thought, " _I actually think I can win this!_ " Needless to say, the spectators were not happy that a Pokémon was in the lead. They were upset because "having a Pokémon in the lead is a disgrace to the game! He should be driven out of town!" Grovyle was disheartened on hearing that, but Ella assured him, "They're just jealous. I remember when Neil and I first won this tournament. They said, 'You just entered the Links Tourney. How did you win already? A lot of us have been playing the tourney for years and haven't even placed! How is that fair?'" Grovyle then laughed, his confidence restored. Neil, Mario, and Kid decided to bear down; they didn't like losing to a Pokémon either. Grovyle was about to let it get to his head, but Ella warned him about it. "Remember what happened to Neil. Just pretend you're in the middle of the pack." Grovyle said, "I'll try," but he was so excited about being in the lead, he couldn't sleep. Ella had to get him a sleep aid (one approved by the Mario Golf Tour). He dreamed about winning the Links Town golf tournament. He imagined himself a world pro at golf, hitting long drives, accurate approaches, and precise putts. The next day, however, reality set in, and Grovyle fell to tenth place, having hit inaccurate shots (but his putting was still spot on). Ella then told him, "Play like you played in Round 1! Hold nothing back! You ended Round 1 in the lead!" And so Grovyle played Rounds 3 and 4 like he'd played in Round 1, no, _better_. In fact, he took the lead in Hole 11 of Round 3, and he never relinquished it; _he actually won the Links Town golf tournament!_ Even Neil, Mario, and Kid, as hard as they pushed, could not keep up; they had to settle for second, third, and fourth respectively, and Ella came in fifth. Everyone was shocked, including the announcer. " ** _I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MARIO GOLF HISTORY, A POKÉMON HAS WON A GOLF TOURNAMENT!!!!! GROVYLE METALS, WITH A SCORE OF 27 UNDER PAR, IS THE NEW LINKS TOWN GOLF TOURNAMENT CHAMPION!!!!!_** " Grovyle jumped up and down, cheering. Ella shouted, "Yeah! That's my boy!" Grovyle ran over to her. "I DID IT, MOM! I REALLY DID IT!" Neil was upset. "It's bad enough I lose two tournaments in a row, but to a Pokémon!?" Bayleef said, "Hey!" Neil apologized to her for hurting her feelings. But then, some reporters came over to Ella and asked her, "As Grovyle's 'mother,' how do you feel about your 'son' winning the tournament?" Ella responded, "To be honest, I didn't really think he could actually win a golf tournament." Grovyle was dumbfounded. His mother really _didn't_ believe in him!? **_"WHAT!!!??!?"_** he bellowed. "She said I'd win one someday! She told me she believed in me!" Ella was embarrassed, but more at herself than Grovyle. She told him, "Well, now you know you can win on tour. Play your best at all times, and you could actually go pro!" The reporters then told him about a special tournament amateurs like him could enter for a chance to go pro. With Ella's blessing, he jumped at that chance.

When Bayleef and Neil got home, she said, "I want to learn how to play golf." So the next day, they drove to Palm Club, and Neil rented a set of junior golf clubs for Bayleef. As they went to the driving range, Neil told her, "Do as I say and as I do." So she followed his instructions carefully, and she hit several good shots. She wasn't on Grovyle's level, of course, but she was pretty good for her age. After an hour, Neil took her back to the clubhouse and told the receptionist, "We're ready for a round of golf." So she gave Neil the normal scorecard, and Bayleef a special junior scorecard. Neil played from the usual far-back tees, and Bayleef from the far-forward tees, this being her first game. Although she played from easier tees, she was averaging double bogey for each hole. Neil was getting frustrated with her low skill, so he told her, "Step up your game." Bayleef tried, but she couldn't improve as well as Neil hoped. He was tempted to chew her out for not stepping up her game, but then he remembered that golf should be fun for children, so he held back. While he scored a 65, she shot 99. She was upset at first, but when Neil told her, "99 is great for a first score. Many people don't even break 100 their whole lives." That cheered her up. When they went back to the clubhouse, they came across a Meganium. She didn't recognize Bayleef, but she did recognize Neil. "Neil?" That got his attention. Neil didn't expect her to know him. She said, "Remember me?" He replied, "No. How do you know me?" She said, "I was your original Meganium!" That jogged his memory.

\-- Flashback --

At the Pokémon doctor's office, Brock said, "You know your original Meganium?" Neil replied, "No, I had forgotten about her! She was one of my most powerful Pokémon when I went on my Pokémon journey! Then she hooked up with Daisy's boy Meganium and got pregnant." "Your Bayleef is their daughter!"

\-- End flashback --

Neil's eyes went wide. "Oh, my goodness! I haven't seen you in a long time!" He ran over and gave her a big hug! Bayleef asked, "What are you doing?" Then Meganium teared up in shame. Bayleef asked, "Why is she crying?" Neil answered, "She probably feels guilty for abandoning you as a baby." Meganium interjected, "Probably? I...wait! _That's_ the baby I abandoned?" Bayleef asked, "Huh?" Neil explained, "This is my original Meganium... _your mother!!_ "

 _Oh my goodness! That Meganium is Bayleef's mother?!? The one who abandoned her as a baby? What is Bayleef to think? And what will Meganium do, now that she's reunited with her?_

 _Please review. What has Meganium been doing all this time? Do you want to find out?_


	35. Meganium Tells All

Bayleef stared in shock. A few minutes later, she regained her composure and said, "My...mother? This Meganium is my mom?" Neil told her about how when he adopted her, he'd discovered that. Bayleef was excited. "I can't believe I'm actually with a blood relative!" But then her excitement faded, and with a hurt voice, she asked Meganium, "Why did you give me away?" She answered, "I was young and foolish back then, sweetheart. I wanted to spend more time with your father, and neither of us knew the concept of family." Neil then said, "She means Daisy's Meganium." Meganium asked, "You remember him?" "Yes, I do." "He was the cutest, sweetest, most charming Pokémon out there. I couldn't stop thinking about him." Bayleef answered, "Reminds me of Charizard." Meganium thought, " _Good thing he's also in the Monster egg group._ _A cute, sweet Charizard? Well, I have heard legends of Charizards being kind and friendly, but I didn't think it would really happen!_ " Bayleef explained that she had been friends with Charizard ever since they were only Chikorita and Charmander. Meganium then said, "Sounds good. What's he like?" "He's the most wonderful Pokémon out there. He was brave enough to defy the rules at my old orphanage. They said I was never to make friends, cry, or go potty, _ever_. I tried to obey them, but they always accused me of disobeying, no matter what. They even said that no one would ever adopt me, but then Neil did." Meganium's brow furrowed. That sounded like Team Elder. Bayleef continued, "He was the _complete opposite_ of everything I'd known previously, other than Charizard, who was a Charmeleon at the time. He fed me good food, let me go potty in a bucket, gave me toys, and was like a father to me. In fact, I eventually began calling him 'Daddy.' But then the Marion Town Orphanage elders tried to take me back, not just once, but twice! First, they posed as Pokémon rights activists; and second, they tried to get Neil to marry Millie Moneybags, who was planning to send me back to the orphanage! But Charizard foiled the first plot with Treecko and Tropius, and he foiled the second plot with Growlithe, Treecko (who is now Grovyle), Sylveon, and Leafeon. And he has been a faithful friend to me ever since we met. He actually lives next for to me!"

Meganium was happy to hear that her daughter had a great friend, but sad to hear that she had a traumatic childhood. And she was angry because she knew it was Team Elder who was hurting her little girl. So she decided to share her childhood with her. "I was ripped away from my parents when I was only an egg. The people I grew up with were Team Elder, a group of elders who were the most horrible, evil people imaginable. They would beat me for anything, even when I did nothing wrong. They made me do grueling but pointless work every day. They called me worthless, weak, pathetic, etc. And they said that no one would ever want to care for me." Bayleef began to tear up, but she said nothing. Meganium continued, "No one would feed me, so I had to sneak food when no one was looking. Even if I didn't sneak any food, they still beat me. So I snuck food every day. I thought it would never end, but one day, they gave me to a big boy with a crew cut, named Bruce Perry. I cheered up for a while, but then he said, 'Don't grin at me. You know the rules.' And he treated me just as badly as the elders, except that he did feed me sometimes. He also beat me, called me worthless, and stuff like that. I would battle in tournaments, doing everything I could to please Bruce, but no. He would punish me even when I won. Nothing, but _nothing_ , I did pleased him.

\-- Flashback --

"YOU'RE WORTHLESS!!!! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!!! WHY DID TEAM ELDER FOIST YOU ON ME????" screamed Bruce as he was mercilessly beating Chikorita. She cried, "I did exactly what you said!" "SHUT UP!!!!" "And I won!" " **I SAID _SHUT UP, YOU WORTHLESS SON OF A @#?$%!!!!!!_** " And he beat her unconscious.

\-- End flashback --

"The turning point came at the New Donk City Tournament. I was in top form, ready to win that tournament and please my master. I won round one easily, but he still beat me, calling me a worthless piece of $#@$! I was really hurt, but I chose not to give up. I won round two, not quite as easily, going against a bug type, but I won. Then Bruce did something I never would have suspected: he got rid of me and told me never to come back. I tried desperately to convince him otherwise, but he threw me away from him. I began to sink into despair, thinking Bruce was right. No one would ever want someone as weak and pathetic as me. But then, I felt someone moving, I looked up, and I saw _him._ His name was Neil. He was the complete opposite of Bruce. He was kind, sweet, and sensitive." Bayleef angrily interrupted, " _WAS!!??_ " Meganium smiled and said, "From what you just said, it sounds like he still is." Bayleef's anger subsided. "I watched him and his Blastoise win the tournament easily. And then, something happened that thoroughly confused me. I was used to eating slop; the guys would say, 'You're gonna eat this, and you're gonna _like_ it!' It was awful, of course, but I ate it anyway (sometimes, I actually got sick). But the food Neil fed me and Blastoise tasted great. Later I saw Blastoise in a practice battle...he won easily, and I saw Neil praising him. That was a major contrast compared to what my former owners did. They would scold and punish me _even when I obeyed them perfectly and won easily!_ Then I had a practice battle of my own, against Ella's Charmander, but I lost. I was sure Neil would disown me; but instead he praised me, and so did Charmander, for my good effort. It was too much for me to take; I actually cried... _a lot!_ At first, Neil didn't know why, but then Kid told him I wasn't allowed to show any emotion when I was with Bruce (and I wasn't), so Neil let me let it out. Afterward, Blastoise became my 'mentor,' and eventually we formed a team. It consisted of us, Blaziken, Emolga, Beedrill, Aggron, and Hydreigon. We won some tournaments, lost some, working our way toward the Kinoko League Championship. Along the way, I fell in love with a handsome boy Meganium, owned by Princess Daisy. He was very supportive of me all the way through. He cheered for me every time he saw me battling (unless he was fighting against me, which only happened once), he wrote love letters to me, and we had great times when we got to actually be together. Eventually, we got married, and lived lives of wedded bliss, and then we had you. But we were young and foolish, and we dropped you off at some rich person's house."

Then, Meganium took on an angry tone of voice. "But we never expected you to end up in the nefarious hands of Team Elder! They are the ones who are in charge of the Marion Town Orphanage for Pokémon! Team Elder masterminded the plot to take you back! They were mighty furious about losing you twice, and they are hard at work trying to get you back for keeps! They're trying to use you for some sinister scheme. We are _**not**_ going to let them get away with this! Bayleef, we start training immediately!" "Training?" "Battle training. We will need to be able to fight those elders who want to wreck our way of life!" Bayleef said, "But I thought we were not to get in conflicts with them." Meganium angrily replied, "No buts, young lady!" Neil interjected, "Meganium..." Meganium screamed, " _ **YOU SHOULD BE BACKING ME UP ON THIS!!!!!**_ " "Meganium, I raised you better than this!" "What!? You don't care that Team Elder is trying to ruin us again?" "I do care, but Bayleef is only a child." "Best to bend the twig while it's green." "You're her _mother_ , _not_ her _slave master!_ Isn't that what you're mad at Team Elder for?" Then Meganium realized how hard she had been, and she said, "I'm sorry I came off as a bully, but it is perfectly permissible and necessary to be in conflict with Team Elder." Bayleef answered, "Okay, Mommy." "Now, we need to spread the word to the masses! We will go across Palm Town, door to door, and recruit our allies. Come on, Bayleef. Let's go!" And off they went to recruit their allies. They went door-to-door, telling them about their mission against Team Elder. Unfortunately, no one believed them. They were peppered with such responses as "Oh, come on," "No way," "You're off your rocker," "Team Elder's been gone for years," "You don't know what you're talking about," and the like. When they got to Mario's house, Luigi's Pikachu laughed and said, "I'm out," but Mario's Charizard, with a serious glare, said, "I'm in." Yoshi's Dragonair was playing in a battle tournament in Palm Town, and she said, "I am currently in a battle tournament, and I cannot go against the wishes of my father." Meganium then said, "As a Pokémon of the Kinoko League Champion, I demand that you inform your trainer of the situation." But Yoshi said, "Team Erdel was defeated yeals ago! No one has heald flom ol seen them since! You palanoid! You dumb!" Meganium stampeded away in a rage, Bayleef in pursuit. They were very disappointed in the result of their recruitment; _only Charizard_ had joined them in their fight against Team Elder.

When they got back to Neil's house, he told Bayleef, "I can no longer be your father. It would be _too_ weird." Bayleef knew what he meant. She was sad to be losing him, but she trusted that her mother would take proper care of her and not give her away this time. "But you both can stay at my house..." Meganium said, "No thanks. That won't be necessary. I have a place." Neil, still feeling attached to not only Bayleef but also Meganium, asked, "Could I see?" Meganium happily answered, "Of course! I'm always happy to show my former trainer where I live! I always considered you and my fellow Pokémon to be family." She then led him to an old military bunker. Neil was stunned. "You live in this bunker?" Meganium answered, "Yes. I have been planning the destruction of Team Elder ever since well before they 'rose back to power.' I have waited patiently to be able to destroy those villains, get my egg back, and give it (when it hatched) a peaceful, loving home. I will never rest until they are totally destroyed. As long as they are in power, no one will be safe from their horrible abuse. But now, I have my daughter back, and I am eternally thankful to you for giving her a loving environment when I couldn't. And I also thank Charizard for being a hero to her, rescuing her from Team Elder's clutches." Neil then said, "You're welcome. It will be an honor to help you fight against Team Elder, but I really must get going now." And Neil went to Judge Fairchild to officially disown Bayleef and give her back to Meganium. And then they went to her bunker, where she signed the paperwork to legally reclaim her daughter. And then the mother and daughter shared a long, huge hug.

After Neil and Judge Fairchild went back home, Meganium confessed to Bayleef, "Your father cheated on me shortly after I became pregnant again. I caught him with Peach's Charizard (the wife of Mario's original Charizard, and the mother of his current one), and he yelled at me, saying it was none of my business, and then we divorced. Only one day after I laid that egg, it disappeared, replaced with a note from Team Elder saying that if I didn't learn to respect and submit to their authority, they would destroy me. And that's when I ran away and found this bunker. I have been living in here ever since, keeping a sharp...scan out for Team Elder's agents. However, as you saw earlier today, I do occasionally get out and get some fresh air. But that's only because Team Elder has been seemingly inactive lately. Later, I found out that your father cheated on his new wife with a Sceptile (who happened to the wife of Ella's original Sceptile and the mother of Ella's Grovyle). I found out only one month later that he had adopted a promiscuous lifestyle, mating with whomever he wanted; and another month later, I found out that he died from syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, Pokémon papillomavirus, and AIDS. That is partly why I never remarried. But now that I have you back, I can teach you properly about sex and staying true to your husband. But that won't be for a while. You're just a Bayleef, after all. How old are you?" Bayleef answered, "Seven. My birthday is April 11." Meganium responded, "Wow. You're getting to be such a big girl." Bayleef responded, "Aw, Mommy." Then Meganium kissed her daughter.

Just then, Charizard showed up with Luigi's Pikachu, Peach's Sylveon, Daisy's Leafeon, and a strange Magmar who claimed he wanted to help them stop Team Elder. Meganium was thrilled to see that Charizard had succeeded in recruiting some of his friends to the cause against Team Elder, but she was suspicious of Magmar (she didn't know him at all). Nevertheless, she welcomed him to her bunker. After the Pokémon announced their types, she quickly researched moves of their corresponding types. She then began a rigorous training regimen, pushing the Pokémon to their limits. They were encouraged to give it their all, no matter how tired they were, no matter how much they hurt, no matter how hard it was, etc. Everyone was terrified of Meganium (even Charizard and Magmar). She drilled them relentlessly, like a drill sergeant in the army. She took no backtalk, she screamed a lot, and she even wore a military outfit and helmet. "FULL SPEED AHEAD, MAGGOTS!!!" "NO, SHUT UP; I DIDN'T ASK FOR AN ANSWER!!!" "YOU CALL THAT A (attack), YOU SORRY MARSHMALLOW!??" "MY GRANDMA COULD FIGHT BETTER THAN THAT, AND SHE'S DEAD!!!!" But when the training of the day was done, Meganium calmed down and became a loving, doting mother to her daughter Bayleef. "I only did those things and shouted like that to make you stronger. I would never hurt you on purpose. Trust me. We'll be able to fight Team Elder, and we won't be afraid anymore." Bayleef smiled and said, "I love you, Mommy." Meganium replied, "I love you, too, sweetheart." That night, Neil came over and dropped off all of Bayleef's toys and games. She said, "Thanks, Neil!" signifying that she accepted that Neil was no longer her "father," and she and her mother enjoyed a night of fun and games. Bayleef asked, "Mommy, is Neil gonna be sad that I'm away from him?" She assured her daughter, "He felt it was the right thing to do. If he hadn't, he would have kept you." Then they giggled. But they both secretly admitted that they were wondering how Neil was doing.

 _Now that Meganium and Bayleef have reunited, they have learned about each other's childhood,_ _and it has been discovered_ _that Team Elder is alive and well, and is planning some sinister scheme._ _Meganium has retaliated by training her daughter and her friends to fight back against them._ _Will they succeed, or will this stand be for nought?_

 _Please review_ _. What do you think Bayleef's life will be like, now that Neil has given her back to her mother?_ _And how do you think Neil will handle life without Bayleef?_


	36. A Grovyle Chapter

Neil was taking it really hard. Giving up Bayleef turned out to be the most heartbreaking thing he had ever gone through. Sure, she was with her real mother, who had DEFINITELY learned her lesson and become a good mother to her daughter, but it still hurt him deeply when he gave her up. He fell into such a depression that he stopped participating in golf tournaments, hanging out with his friends. All he seemed to do was watch TV all day. This change in behavior did not go unnoticed, and Neil's friends wanted to do something about it. However, everyone who knocked on his door got this response: "Go away. I'm not in the mood." However, one day, Grovyle decided to do something about it. He asked Ella, "Mom, could I poop in the yard?" Ella thought, " _My son wants to poop in the yard like an animal. Well, he is based on a gecko, so I need to respect his animal-like qualities._ " So she smiled and said, "Sure you can." So Grovyle went over to the fence, got on all fours, and pooped...a _huge_ poop. As luck would have it, Neil opened his back door just when Grovyle finished. He was thinking about going for a swim when the smell hit him. "Ugh! Something stinks!" It reminded him of how Bayleef's bucket smelled when she used it back in Marion Town, but this smelled worse. Neil noticed that the smell was stronger on the left side of his yard, so he followed his nose to Grovyle's poop. Just what Grovyle wanted him to do. "Oh, Grovyle! Did you do that?" Neil gagged. Grovyle nodded, "Uh huh. Want to come over to my house for lunch?" Neil said, "Leave me alone." Grovyle replied, "No." Neil went ballistic. " ** _DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME 'NO'!!!!_**" Bayleef would have backed away in fear, but not Grovyle. He bravely said, "This is for your own good. It's not healthy to lay around doing nothing all day. You need to get out and..." "And what?" demanded Neil. "Loosen up," answered Grovyle. But Neil wouldn't budge. "I said go away!" And Grovyle went inside in defeat.

However, Grovyle was not one to give up. He did the same thing for three days. Neil finally gave in, knowing that Grovyle would never give up. He reluctantly got dressed and went over to Ella's house. When he arrived, Grovyle gave him a big hug. "It's so great to see you!" Neil said, "Yeah, yeah, sure." Ella told him, "I made you spaghetti, your favorite!" Neil smiled for the first time since he'd given Bayleef back to her mother. "You knew, didn't you?" Ella and Grovyle both laughed. She said, "Yes, I did." Neil gave Ella a kiss on the cheek; and right then and there, he knew that she was the one for him, even if it meant becoming a father to a rambunctious gecko named Grovyle. He impulsively asked her, "Want to see if there's any movies playing at the theater?" Ella said, "I was thinking more along the lines of watching a movie here at home." Neil reluctantly agreed, and they watched _Billy Madison_ on TV. Neil, Ella, and Grovyle all laughed at Billy's antics, but Ella reminded him that some of them wouldn't be funny if they happened to _him._ But still, Grovyle couldn't help but laugh. Then he said, "Hey, Neil, wanna play Mario Kart 8 with me?" He meant Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch. "Sure." They had a fun night of racing and battling. Ella couldn't help but smile at the spectacle. It was good for Grovyle to have a male role model, since she had been his only role model ever since he'd been adopted. Grovyle was also happy; his mother had a boyfriend he actually liked; if she married Neil, he would become his father! The next week consisted of Neil and Ella playing golf, going to the movies, hanging out at the mall, swimming in each other's pools, etc. Grovyle wanted to join in as much as possible, but they wouldn't let him do _everything_ with them--they wanted some time as boyfriend and girlfriend. However, they left him with Mario when he couldn't tag along with them. That was fine; Mario was a good babysitter. He was more than happy to care for another Pokémon while his Charizard was training against Team Elder with Meganium and her troops; and when Charizard came home, he could spend time with a Pokémon other than Charizard, Pikachu, Nidoking, or Weavile.

At the end of the week, Neil and Ella were reminiscing about their childhood. "Remember when you fed me that macaroni and cheese when I had gone insane?" "Yeah, then you snapped back into it. Then you looked at me with the sweetest expression." "Like this?" He gave her the same loving face he had at the time she had redeemed his sanity. "Exactly!" At that moment, Neil knew that Ella was not only his best friend; she was also the love of his life. Then they talked about their Pokémon journeys, sharing details about how some of their Pokémon flirted with each other (Ella's Charizard and Neil's Blastoise, and her Garchomp and his Hydreigon). Then they shared their experiences on what happened when they went their separate ways. The Grovyle would have said, "Kiss him!" but Neil pulled out a ring. "Elizabeth Olivia Metals, will you marry me?" Grovyle gasped in excitement. He would finally have a father! But Ella wasn't fully ready to say yes, so she said, "Maybe later. We don't know if the time is right." So they dated for a few more months. Naturally, Grovyle was very upset. He wanted Neil and Ella to marry right then.

Meanwhile, Meganium was training her daughter and her friends against Team Elder, and she kept reminding them that Team Elder could strike at any moment. Just then, Wario and Waluigi showed up with Nidoking and Weavile. "If Team Elder really is up to something, as Charizard and Pikachu insist, we really want to help out," said Nidoking. Weavile said, "I have some ideas on how we can fight against them." So he told them to her, and she really liked them. "We can use them when Team Elder attacks, and that will throw them off big time!" But Charizard said, "If Team Elder catches on, we're toast. We'd better be discerning in how we use them." Meganium said, "I could not have said it better myself." Sylveon and Leafeon got some paper, and Nidoking and Weavile charted their strategy.

One night when Neil and Ella were getting back home from a family night out, Ella noticed a GIGANTIC pile of poop in the driveway. She immediately questioned Grovyle on whether he did that, but he responded, "What are you talking about? I go in the back yard, not the front!" "Then what is that?" Ella demanded, pointing to the poop. Grovyle gave her a weird look and said, "That's not mine. Mine isn't anywhere near that big." Ella then said, "Well then, _who did this!?_ " Then a voice that definitely wasn't Neil's answered, "I did it!" Grovyle gasped when he saw the Pokémon who did it. It was a Sceptile. "No! It can't be!" Sceptile asked, "What can't be?" Grovyle asked, "D...D... _Dad!?!?_ " Sceptile, in similar surprise, asked, "S... _Son?!??_ " Unlike Bayleef and Meganium, Grovyle and Sceptile recognized each other right off the bat. Ella also recognized him as her original Sceptile. "Oh, Sceptile, it's so good to see you again!" she said, and they shared a big hug. Grovyle was curious about that, so Ella told him, "Your father was my original Sceptile! He was very speedy and agile." Neil interjected, "Much like my Blaziken." Ella continued, "He, along with Charizard, Feraligatr, Magnezone, Golem, Slurpuff, and Garchomp, were my Pokémon team on my journey. We made it to the Kinoko League Championship (Amanita Conference), making it all the way to the finals...against Neil. Of course, he won, and he got to face the Elite Four, which were no contest for him. And then he faced the Kinoko League Champion, who was none other than his father--Neil Sr. Neil Jr. took an early lead, but Neil Sr.'s Venusaur took out Jr.'s Meganium, Aggron, and Blaziken before losing a close battle to his Blastoise." And Neil said, "And I became the Kinoko League Champion! And my reign lasted two years, until Ash Ketchum came back and dethroned me. Soon, however, Kid dethroned him, and his reign lasted four years; but then Yoshi dethroned _him_ , and this is his sixth year as the champion." Then Sceptile said, "Mind if my son and I stay with you, Aunt Ell?" Ella asked, "Aunt Ell?" Grovyle responded, "Like Aunt Em." Sceptile corrected him, "No, like Aunt Bee." Ella said, "It will be an honor to have you both," and Neil agreed.

November 18...

It was a bright and sunny day on the beach as Neil and Ella were preparing for their wedding. The previous night was spent making sure everything was perfect for the biggest day of their lives. They had rehearsed the wedding fifteen times previously, with Mario as Neil's best man and Plum as Ella's maid of honor. Grovyle was the flower boy and ring bearer, with Sceptile assisting him as Greg had Manny in _Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Ugly Truth._ Mario got Charizard to be a reader, and he did a superior job. The one who would marry Neil and Ella was none other than Princess Peach! The Toads would cater the wedding, with some help from Peach's Sylveon. Neil's parents, Neil Sr. and Pine (brought back together after Boulder's suicide) cried, proud of their son for marrying such a good woman. Ella's parents, Robert and Liz, felt the same way, as did her older brother, Charlie.

"Elizabeth Olivia Metals, do you take Neilius Edward O'Neil, Jr. to be your lawfully wedded husband?" asked Princess Peach. "I do. Wherever he is, I will be also." answered Ella. "Neilius Edward O'Neil, Jr., do you take Elizabeth Olivia Metals to be your lawfully wedded wife?" "Yes, and that's my final decision." "Then, by the power vested in me as Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom sector of the Kinoko Region, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Neil and Ella kissed with the biggest passion they ever had. "It's all go from here!" said Neil. Ella then said, "I have a terrific idea from our honeymoon!" " _For,_ Ella. For our honeymoon." "Oh, Neil, don't ruin our marriage before it even starts!" "Oh, I know what you meant." So Ella laid out the plans: they would go to Lumiose City in Kalos, their first stop would be sightseeing from the Prism Tower, their second stop would be the Lumiose Museum, their next stops would be sightseeing from other landmarks, and their final stop would be the Kalos League Lumiose Conference. They would stay at the Hotel Richissime during their honeymoon.

After Neil and Ella left for their honeymoon in Kalos, Grovyle and Sceptile joined Bayleef, Charizard, Pikachu, Nidoking, Weavile, Sylveon, and Leafeon in training under Meganium against Team Elder. However, there was no sign of Magmar. Charizard and Meganium figured out that he was a spy for Team Elder. Understandably, they were furious that they had been deceived, but Meganium was remarkably forgiving to Charizard. "Don't feel bad," she said soothingly, "it wasn't your fault. He deceived both of us." Charizard then said, "But I was the one who brought him in!" "Aww, dry those tears." "I need to do something to make it up to you." "I know what you can do." Then, in a fierce voice, she bellowed, " ** _MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!!!!!!_** We do not sit around and whine when we've made a mistake. WE WORK HARD AND MAKE IT RIGHT!!!" So Charizard doubled his efforts, as did Bayleef, Sylveon, and Leafeon; Nidoking and Weavile _tripled_ theirs. After training, Meganium congratulated the troops on the "superiorly superior superiority of their performance! There's no way Team Elder can defeat us now!"

 _At last, Neil and Ella have married; Grovyle now has what he's always wanted...a father. But it's not the one he was expecting; it's his **real** father, Sceptile. In the meantime, __Meganium has discovered a spy, and now she has upped her battle training_ _in an effort to defeat Team Elder. Will she succeed_ _, or is she wasting her efforts?_

 _Please review. Have you ever wanted something, but had to wait a long time for it? Was your patience pushed to its limits? How did you conduct yourself while waiting?_

 _By the way, Aunt Em is from the Wizard of Oz, and Aunt Bee is from the Andy Griffith Show._

 _And I also changed Charizard's age in Chapter 11 so his birthday would be on Christmas Day._


End file.
